Melmotte,' said Paul.

'A man with my business on his hands is bound to be quick, sir.'

'But I must be precise. I cannot tell you as a fact that I shall
withdraw from the Board till I receive the advice of a friend with
whom I am consulting. I hardly yet know what my duty may be.'

'I'll tell you, sir, what can not be your duty. It cannot be your duty
to make known out of that Board-room any of the affairs of the
Company which you have learned in that Board-room. It cannot be your
duty to divulge the circumstances of the Company or any differences
which may exist between Directors of the Company, to any gentleman who
is a stranger to the Company. It cannot be your duty.'

'Thank you, Mr Melmotte. On matters such as that I think that I can
see my own way. I have been in fault in coming in to the Board without
understanding what duties I should have to perform--.'

'Very much in fault, I should say,' replied Melmotte, whose arrogance
in the midst of his inflated glory was overcoming him.

'But in reference to what I may or may not say to any friend, or how
far I should be restricted by the scruples of a gentleman, I do not
want advice from you.'

'Very well;--very well. I can't ask you to stay, because a partner from
the house of Todd, Brehgert, and Goldsheiner is waiting to see me,
about matters which are rather more important than this of yours.'
Montague had said what he had to say, and departed.

On the following day, three-quarters of an hour before the meeting of
the Board of Directors, old Mr Longestaffe called in Abchurch Lane. He
was received very civilly by Miles Grendall, and asked to sit down. Mr
Melmotte quite expected him, and would walk with him over to the
offices of the railway, and introduce him to the Board. Mr
Longestaffe, with some shyness, intimated his desire to have a few
moments conversation with the chairman before the Board met. Fearing
his son, especially fearing Squercum, he had made up his mind to
suggest that the little matter about Pickering Park should be settled.
Miles assured him that the opportunity should be given him, but that
at the present moment the chief secretary of the Russian Legation was
with Mr Melmotte. Either the chief secretary was very tedious with his
business, or else other big men must have come in, for Mr Longestaffe
was not relieved till he was summoned to walk off to the Board five
minutes after the hour at which the Board should have met. He thought
that