e the feeling. But then
might it not be possible that if he presented the cheque himself he
might be arrested for stealing Melmotte's money? 'I think Didon had
better get the money,' he said, 'and bring it to me to-morrow, at four
o'clock in the afternoon, to the club.' If the money did not come he
would not go down to Liverpool, nor would he be at the expense of his
ticket for New York. 'You see,' he said, 'I'm so much in the City that
they might know me at the bank.' To this arrangement Marie assented
and took back the cheque. 'And then I'll come on board on Thursday
morning,' he said, 'without looking for you.'

'Oh dear, yes;--without looking for us. And don't know us even till we
are out at sea. Won't it be fun when we shall be walking about on the
deck and not speaking to one another! And, Felix;--what do you think?
Didon has found out that there is to be an American clergyman on
board. I wonder whether he'd marry us.'

'Of course he will.'

'Won't that be jolly? I wish it was all done. Then, directly it's
done, and when we get to New York, we'll telegraph and write to papa,
and we'll be ever so penitent and good; won't we? Of course he'll make
the best of it.'

'But he's so savage; isn't he?'

'When there's anything to get;--or just at the moment. But I don't think
he minds afterwards. He's always for making the best of everything;--
misfortunes and all. Things go wrong so often that if he was to go on
thinking of them always they'd be too many for anybody. It'll be all
right in a month's time. I wonder how Lord Nidderdale will look when
he hears that we've gone off. I should so like to see him. He never
can say that I've behaved bad to him. We were engaged, but it was he
broke it. Do you know, Felix, that though we were engaged to be
married, and everybody knew it, he never once kissed me!' Felix at
this moment almost wished that he had never done so. As to what the
other man had done, he cared nothing at all.

Then they parted with the understanding that they were not to see each
other again till they met on board the boat. All arrangements were
made. But Felix was determined that he would not stir in the matter
unless Didon brought him the full sum of L250; and he almost thought,
and indeed hoped, that she would not. Either she would be suspected at
the bank and apprehended, or she would run off with the money on her
own account when she got it;--or the cheque would have been missed and
the payment sto