ound himself to be afraid
even to give a hint to Mr Melmotte about ready money. In speaking of
all such matters Melmotte seemed to imply that everything necessary
had been done, when he had said that it was done. Pickering had been
purchased and the title-deeds made over to Mr Melmotte; but the
L80,000 had not been paid,--had not been absolutely paid, though of
course Mr Melmotte's note assenting to the terms was security
sufficient for any reasonable man. The property had been mortgaged,
though not heavily, and Mr Melmotte had no doubt satisfied the
mortgagee; but there was still a sum of L50,000 to come, of which
Dolly was to have one half and the other was to be employed in paying
off Mr Longestaffe's debts to tradesmen and debts to the bank. It
would have been very pleasant to have had this at once,--but Mr
Longestaffe felt the absurdity of pressing such a man as Mr Melmotte,
and was partly conscious of the gradual consummation of a new era in
money matters. 'If your banker is pressing you, refer him to me,' Mr
Melmotte had said. As for many years past we have exchanged paper
instead of actual money for our commodities, so now it seemed that,
under the new Melmotte regime, an exchange of words was to suffice.

But Dolly wanted his money. Dolly, idle as he was, foolish as he was,
dissipated as he was and generally indifferent to his debts, liked to
have what belonged to him. It had all been arranged. L5,000 would pay
off all his tradesmen's debts and leave him comfortably possessed of
money in hand, while the other L20,000 would make his own property
free. There was a charm in this which awakened even Dolly, and for the
time almost reconciled him to his father's society. But now a shade of
impatience was coming over him. He had actually gone down to Caversham
to arrange the terms with his father,--and had in fact made his own
terms. His father had been unable to move him, and had consequently
suffered much in spirit. Dolly had been almost triumphant,--thinking
that the money would come on the next day, or at any rate during the
next week. Now he came to his father early in the morning,--at about two
o'clock,--to inquire what was being done. He had not as yet been made
blessed with a single ten-pound note in his hand, as the result of the
sale.

'Are you going to see Melmotte, sir?' he asked somewhat abruptly.

'Yes;--I'm to be with him to-morrow, and he is to introduce me to the
Board.'

'You're going in for tha