aid Montague passing
on. He paused a moment and added, 'I don't know who can have told you,
but if you hear it again, I'll trouble you to contradict it.' As he
was waiting in Melmotte's outer room while the duke's nephew went in
to see whether it was the great man's pleasure to see him, he
remembered whence Carbury must have heard tidings of Mrs Hurtle. Of
course the rumour had come through Ruby Ruggles.

Miles Grendall brought out word that the great man would see Mr
Montague; but he added a caution. 'He's awfully full of work just
now,--you won't forget that;--will you?' Montague assured the duke's
nephew that he would be concise, and was shown in.

'I should not have troubled you,' said Paul, 'only that I understood
that I was to see you before the Board met.'

'Exactly;--of course. It was quite necessary,--only you see I am a
little busy. If this d----d dinner were over I shouldn't mind. It's a
deal easier to make a treaty with an Emperor, than to give him a dinner;
I can tell you that. Well;--let me see. Oh;--I was proposing that you
should go out to Pekin?'

'To Mexico.'

'Yes, yes;--to Mexico. I've so many things running in my head! Well;--
if you'll say when you're ready to start, we'll draw up something of
instructions. You'd know better, however, than we can tell you, what
to do. You'll see Fisker, of course. You and Fisker will manage it.
The chief thing will be a cheque for the expenses; eh? We must get
that passed at the next Board.'

Mr Melmotte had been so quick that Montague had been unable to
interrupt him. 'There need be no trouble about that, Mr Melmotte, as I
have made up my mind that it would not be fit that I should go.'

'Oh, indeed!'

There had been a shade of doubt on Montague's mind, till the tone in
which Melmotte had spoken of the embassy grated on his ears. The
reference to the expenses disgusted him altogether. 'No;--even did I see
my way to do any good in America my duties here would not be
compatible with the undertaking.'

'I don't see that at all. What duties have you got here? What good are
you doing the Company? If you do stay, I hope you'll be unanimous;
that's all;--or perhaps you intend to go out. If that's it, I'll look to
your money. I think I told you that before.'

'That, Mr Melmotte, is what I should prefer.'

'Very well,--very well. I'll arrange it. Sorry to lose you,--that's
all. Miles, isn't Mr Goldsheiner waiting to see me?'

'You're a little too quick, Mr