l profit. His wealth was so immense that
there was no longer place for anxiety on that score. He already
possessed,--so it was said,--enough to found a dozen families, and he had
but one daughter! But by carrying on the enormous affairs which he
held in his hands, he would be able to open up new worlds, to afford
relief to the oppressed nationalities of the over-populated old
countries. He had seen how small was the good done by the Peabodys and
the Bairds, and, resolving to lend no ear to charities and religions,
was intent on projects for enabling young nations to earn plentiful
bread by the moderate sweat of their brows. He was the head and front
of the railway which was to regenerate Mexico. It was presumed that
the contemplated line from ocean to ocean across British America would
become a fact in his hands. It was he who was to enter into terms with
the Emperor of China for farming the tea-fields of that vast country.
He was already in treaty with Russia for a railway from Moscow to
Khiva. He had a fleet,--or soon would have a fleet of emigrant ships,--
ready to carry every discontented Irishman out of Ireland to whatever
quarter of the globe the Milesian might choose for the exercise of his
political principles. It was known that he had already floated a
company for laying down a submarine wire from Penzance to Point de
Galle, round the Cape of Good Hope,--so that, in the event of general
wars, England need be dependent on no other country for its
communications with India. And then there was the philanthropic scheme
for buying the liberty of the Arabian fellahs from the Khedive of
Egypt for thirty millions sterling,--the compensation to consist of the
concession of a territory about four times as big as Great Britain in
the lately annexed country on the great African lakes. It may have
been the case that some of these things were as yet only matters of
conversation,--speculations as to which Mr Melmotte's mind and
imagination had been at work, rather than his pocket or even his
credit; but they were all sufficiently matured to find their way into
the public press, and to be used as strong arguments why Melmotte
should become member of Parliament for Westminster.

All this praise was of course gall to those who found themselves
called upon by the demands of their political position to oppose Mr
Melmotte. You can run down a demi-god only by making him out to be a
demi-devil. These very persons, the leading Liberal