vening with the
Emperor and the Princes and the Princesses. The plan was carried out
perfectly. At half-past ten the Emperor was made to walk upstairs, and
for half an hour sat awful and composed in an arm-chair that had been
prepared for him. How one would wish to see the inside of the mind of
the Emperor as it worked on that occasion!

Melmotte, when his guests ascended his stairs, went back into the
banqueting-room and through to the hall, and wandered about till he
found Miles Grendall.

'Miles,' he said, 'tell me what the row is.'

'How row?' asked Miles.

'There's something wrong, and you know all about it. Why didn't the
people come?' Miles, looking guilty, did not even attempt to deny his
knowledge. 'Come; what is it? We might as well know all about it at
once.' Miles looked down on the ground, and grunted something. 'Is it
about the election?'

'No, it's not that,' said Miles.

'Then what is it?'

'They got hold of something to-day in the City--about Pickering.'

'They did, did they? And what were they saying about Pickering? Come;
you might as well out with it. You don't suppose that I care what lies
they tell.'

'They say there's been something--forged. Title-deeds, I think they
say.'

'Title-deeds! that I have forged title-deeds. Well; that's beginning
well. And his lordship has stayed away from my house after accepting
my invitation because he has heard that story! All right, Miles; that
will do.' And the Great Financier went upstairs into his own
drawing-room.

CHAPTER LX - MISS LONGESTAFFE'S LOVER

A few days before that period in our story which we have now reached,
Miss Longestaffe was seated in Lady Monogram's back drawing-room,
discussing the terms on which the two tickets for Madame Melmotte's
grand reception had been transferred to Lady Monogram,--the place on
the cards for the names of the friends whom Madame Melmotte had the
honour of inviting to meet the Emperor and the Princes, having been
left blank; and the terms also on which Miss Longestaffe had been asked
to spend two or three days with her dear friend Lady Monogram. Each lady
was disposed to get as much and to give as little as possible,--in which
desire the ladies carried out the ordinary practice of all parties to
a bargain. It had of course been settled that Lady Monogram was to
have the two tickets,--for herself and her husband,--such tickets at
that moment standing very high in the market. In payment for these