ut of the question.
She herself, as well as all others, had known that she was to be
married for her money, and now that bubble had been burst. But he felt
that he owed it to her, as to a comrade who had on the whole been
loyal to him, to have some personal explanation with herself. He
arranged in his own mind the sort of speech that he would make to her.
'Of course you know it can't be. It was all arranged because you were
to have a lot of money, and now it turns out that you haven't got any.
And I haven't got any, and we should have nothing to live upon. It's
out of the question. But, upon my word, I'm very sorry, for I like you
very much, and I really think we should have got on uncommon well
together.' That was the kind of speech that he suggested to himself,
but he did not know how to find for himself the opportunity of making
it. He thought that he must put it all into a letter. But then that
would be tantamount to a written confession that he had made her an
offer of marriage, and he feared that Melmotte,--or Madame Melmotte on
his behalf, if the great man himself were absent, in prison,--might
make an ungenerous use of such an admission.

Between seven and eight he went into the Beargarden, and there he saw
Dolly Longestaffe and others. Everybody was talking about Melmotte,
the prevailing belief being that he was at this moment in custody.
Dolly was full of his own griefs; but consoled amidst them by a sense
of his own importance. 'I wonder whether it's true,' he was saying to
Lord Grasslough. 'He has an appointment to meet me and my governor at
twelve o'clock to-morrow, and to pay us what he owes us. He swore
yesterday that he would have the money to-morrow. But he can't keep his
appointment, you know, if he's in prison.'

'You won't see the money, Dolly, you may swear to that,' said
Grasslough.

'I don't suppose I shall. By George, what an ass my governor has been.
He had no more right than you have to give up the property. Here's
Nidderdale. He could tell us where he is; but I'm afraid to speak to
him since he cut up so rough the other night.'

In a moment the conversation was stopped; but when Lord Grasslough
asked Nidderdale in a whisper whether he knew anything about Melmotte,
the latter answered out loud, 'Yes I left him in the House half an
hour ago.'

'People are saying that he has been arrested.'

'I heard that also; but he certainly had not been arrested when I left
the House.' Then he went up