f
knowing on any day what he had done on the day before.

Squercum was quite sure that his client had not signed it. And it must
be owned on Dolly's behalf that his manner on this occasion was
qualified to convince. 'Yes,' he said to Squercum; 'it's easy saying
that I'm lack-a-daisical. But I know when I'm lack-a-daisical and when
I'm not. Awake or asleep, drunk or sober, I never signed that letter.'
And Mr Squercum believed him.

It would be hard to say how the rumour first got into the City on this
Monday morning. Though the elder Longestaffe had first heard of the
matter only on the previous Saturday, Mr Squercum had been at work for
above a week. Mr Squercum's little matter alone might hardly have
attracted the attention which certainly was given on this day to Mr
Melmotte's private affairs;--but other facts coming to light assisted
Squercum's views. A great many shares of the South Central Pacific and
Mexican Railway had been thrown upon the market, all of which had
passed through the hands of Mr Cohenlupe;--and Mr Cohenlupe in the City
had been all to Mr Melmotte as Lord Alfred had been at the West End.
Then there was the mortgage of this Pickering property, for which the
money certainly had not been paid; and there was the traffic with half
a street of houses near the Commercial Road, by which a large sum of
money had come into Mr Melmotte's hands. It might, no doubt, all be
right. There were many who thought that it would all be right. There
were not a few who expressed the most thorough contempt for these
rumours. But it was felt to be a pity that Mr Melmotte was not in the
City.

This was the day of the dinner. The Lord Mayor had even made up his
mind that he would not go to the dinner. What one of his brother
aldermen said to him about leaving others in the lurch might be quite
true; but, as his lordship remarked, Melmotte was a commercial man,
and as these were commercial transactions it behoved the Lord Mayor of
London to be more careful than other men. He had always had his
doubts, and he would not go. Others of the chosen few of the City who
had been honoured with commands to meet the Emperor resolved upon
absenting themselves unless the Lord Mayor went. The affair was very
much discussed, and there were no less than six declared City
defaulters. At the last moment a seventh was taken ill and sent a note
to Miles Grendall excusing himself, which was thrust into the
secretary's hands just as the Empero