e Mexican railway. He had
trusted much to Cohenlupe,--more than it had been customary with him
to trust to any man. Cohenlupe assured him that nothing could be done
with the railway shares at the present moment. They had fallen under
the panic almost to nothing. Now in the time of his trouble Melmotte
wanted money from the great railway, but just because he wanted money
the great railway was worth nothing. Cohenlupe told him that he must
tide over the evil hour,--or rather over an evil month. It was at
Cohenlupe's instigation that he had offered the two bills to Mr
Bideawhile. 'Offer 'em again,' said Cohenlupe. 'He must take the bills
sooner or later.'

On the Monday afternoon Melmotte met Lord Nidderdale in the lobby of
the House. 'Have you seen Marie lately?' he said. Nidderdale had been
assured that morning, by his father's lawyer, in his father's
presence, that if he married Miss Melmotte at present he would
undoubtedly become possessed of an income amounting to something over
L5,000 a year. He had intended to get more than that,--and was hardly
prepared to accept Marie at such a price; but then there probably
would be more. No doubt there was a difficulty about Pickering.
Melmotte certainly had been raising money. But this might probably be
an affair of a few weeks. Melmotte had declared that Pickering should
be made over to the young people at the marriage. His father had
recommended him to get the girl to name a day. The marriage could be
broken off at the last day if the property were not forthcoming.

'I'm going up to your house almost immediately,' said Nidderdale.

'You'll find the women at tea to a certainty between five and six,'
said Melmotte.

CHAPTER LXXIV - MELMOTTE MAKES A FRIEND

'Have you been thinking any more about it?' Lord Nidderdale said to
the girl as soon as Madame Melmotte had succeeded in leaving them
alone together.

'I have thought ever so much more about it,' said Marie.

'And what's the result?'

'Oh,--I'll have you.'

'That's right,' said Nidderdale, throwing himself on the sofa close to
her, so that he might put his arm round her waist.

'Wait a moment, Lord Nidderdale,' she said.

'You might as well call me John.'

'Then wait a moment,--John. You think you might as well marry me,
though you don't love me a bit.'

'That's not true, Marie.'

'Yes it is;--it's quite true. And I think just the same,--that I might
as well marry you, though I don't love you a bit.