e, if you'd like to come to the dinner, I've got a ticket I can
let you have. You know how they're run after.' Montague had heard of
the dinner, but had perhaps heard as little of it as any man
frequenting a club at the west end of London. He did not in the least
want to be at the dinner, and certainly did not wish to receive any
extraordinary civility from Mr Melmotte's hands.

But he was very anxious to know why Mr Melmotte should offer it. He
excused himself saying that he was not particularly fond of big
dinners, and that he did not like standing in the way of other people.
'Ah, indeed,' said Melmotte. 'There are ever so many people of title
would give anything for a ticket. You'd be astonished at the persons
who have asked. We've had to squeeze in a chair on one side for the
Master of the Buckhounds, and on the other for the Bishop of--; I
forget what bishop it is, but we had the two archbishops before. They
say he must come because he has something to do with getting up the
missionaries for Tibet. But I've got the ticket, if you'll have it.'
This was the ticket which was to have taken in Georgiana Longestaffe
as one of the Melmotte family, had not Melmotte perceived that it
might be useful to him as a bribe. But Paul would not take the bribe.
'You're the only man in London, then,' said Melmotte, somewhat
offended. 'But at any rate you'll come in the evening, and I'll have
one of Madame Melmotte's tickets sent to you.' Paul not knowing how to
escape, said that he would come in the evening. 'I am particularly
anxious,' continued he, 'to be civil to those who are connected with
our great Railway, and of course, in this country, your name stands
first,--next to my own.'

Then the great man paused, and Paul began to wonder whether it could
be possible that he had been sent for to Grosvenor Square on a Sunday
morning in order that he might be asked to dine in the same house a
fortnight later. But that was impossible. 'Have you anything special
to say about the Railway?' he asked.

'Well, yes. It is so hard to get things said at the Board. Of course
there are some there who do not understand matters.'

'I doubt if there be any one there who does understand this matter,'
said Paul.

Melmotte affected to laugh. 'Well, well; I am not prepared to go quite
so far as that. My friend Cohenlupe has had great experience in these
affairs, and of course you are aware that he is in Parliament. And
Lord Alfred sees farther into