d Dolly to Lord Nidderdale in a
whisper.

'She sent for me. We live quite close, you know. She wanted somebody
to tell her something. I must go up to her again now.'

'Had you seen him before?'

'No indeed. I only came down when I heard your voices. I fear it will
be rather bad for you;--won't it?'

'He was regularly smashed, I suppose?' asked Dolly.

'I know nothing myself. He talked to me about his affairs once, but he
was such a liar that not a word that he said was worth anything. I
believed him then. How it will go, I can't say.'

'That other thing is all over of course,' suggested Dolly. Nidderdale
intimated by a gesture of his head that the other thing was all over,
and then returned to Marie. There was nothing further that the four
gentlemen could do, and they soon departed from the house;--not,
however, till Mr Bideawhile had given certain short injunctions to the
butler concerning the property contained in Mr Longestaffe's town
residence.

'They had come to see him,' said Lord Nidderdale in a whisper. 'There
was some appointment. He had told them to be all here at this hour.'

'They didn't know, then?' asked Marie.

'Nothing;--till the man told them.'

'And did you go in?'

'Yes; we all went into the room.' Marie shuddered, and again hid her
face. 'I think the best thing I can do,' said Nidderdale, 'is to go to
Abchurch Lane, and find out from Smith who is the lawyer whom he
chiefly trusted. I know Smith had to do with his own affairs, because
he has told me so at the Board; and if necessary I will find out
Croll. No doubt I can trace him. Then we had better employ the lawyer
to arrange everything for you.'

'And where had we better go to?'

'Where would Madame Melmotte wish to go?'

'Anywhere, so that we could hide ourselves. Perhaps Frankfort would be
the best. But shouldn't we stay till something has been done here? And
couldn't we have lodgings, so as to get away from Mr Longestaffe's
house?' Nidderdale promised that he himself would look for lodgings,
as soon as he had seen the lawyer. 'And now, my lord, I suppose that I
never shall see you again,' said Marie.

'I don't know why you should say that.'

'Because it will be best. Why should you? All this will be trouble
enough to you when people begin to say what we are. But I don't think
it has been my fault.'

'Nothing has ever been your fault.'

'Good-bye, my lord. I shall always think of you as one of the kindest
people I ever kn