entral Pacific and Mexican Railway Company,--describing its condition
in England as he then believed it to be,--and urging Fisker to come
over to London. On receipt of a message from his American correspondent
he had gone down to Liverpool, and had there awaited Fisker's arrival,
taking counsel with his friend Mr Ramsbottom. In the meantime Hetta's
letter was lying at the Beargarden, Paul having written from his club
and having omitted to desire that the answer should be sent to his
lodgings. Just at this moment things at the Beargarden were not well
managed. They were indeed so ill managed that Paul never received that
letter,--which would have had for him charms greater than those of any
letter ever before written.

'This is a terrible business,' said Fisker, immediately on entering
the room in which Montague was waiting him. 'He was the last man I'd
have thought would be cut up in that way.'

'He was utterly ruined.'

'He wouldn't have been ruined,--and couldn't have thought so if he'd
known all he ought to have known. The South Central would have pulled
him through almost anything if he'd have understood how to play it.'

'We don't think much of the South Central here now,' said Paul.

'Ah;--that's because you've never above half spirit enough for a big
thing. You nibble at it instead of swallowing it whole,--and then, of
course, folks see that you're only nibbling. I thought that Melmotte
would have had spirit.'

'There is, I fear, no doubt that he had committed forgery. It was the
dread of detection as to that which drove him to destroy himself.'

'I call it dam clumsy from beginning to end;--dam clumsy. I took him
to be a different man, and I feel more than half ashamed of myself
because I trusted such a fellow. That chap Cohenlupe has got off with
a lot of swag. Only think of Melmotte allowing Cohenlupe to get the
better of him!'

'I suppose the thing will be broken up now at San Francisco,'
suggested Paul.

'Bu'st up at Frisco! Not if I know it. Why should it be bu'st up?
D'you think we're all going to smash there because a fool like
Melmotte blows his brains out in London?'

'He took poison.'

'Or p'ison either. That's not just our way. I'll tell you what I'm
going to do; and why I'm over here so uncommon sharp. These shares are
at a'most nothing now in London. I'll buy every share in the market. I
wired for as many as I dar'd, so as not to spoil our own game, and
I'll make a clean sweep of every