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Mada stood at the top of her own stairs with a chair behind her on which she could rest herself for a moment when any pause took place in the arrivals She had of course dined at the table,--or rather sat there;--but had been so placed that no duty had devolved upon her She had heard no word of the rumours, and would probably be the last person in that house to hear them It never occurred to her to see whether the places down the table were full or ee eyes fixed on the Majesty of China andherself with an Eone when she was told to go, up to the drawing-roo only for the comfort of her bedroom She, I think, had but small sympathy with her husband in all his work, and but little understanding of the position in which she had been placed Money she liked, and comfort, and perhaps diamonds and fine dresses, but she can hardly have taken pleasure in duchesses or have enjoyed the co of the Mel that no one spoke to Madame Melmotte

Marie Melmotte had declined a seat at the dinner-table This at first had been cause of quarrel between her and her father, as he desired to have seen her next to young Lord Nidderdale as being acknowledged to be betrothed to hi on the subject He still pressed the engageht be expedient She was, however, in the drawing-roo at first by Mada the crowd To so woe circuirl who up all her courage for the occasion This was Hetta Carbury who had been brought hither by her mother

The tickets for Lady Carbury and Hetta had of course been sent before the elopement;--and also, as a matter of course, no reference had been made to them by the Melmotte family after the elopement Lady Carbury herself was anxious that that affair should not be considered as having given cause for any personal quarrel between herself and Mr Melmotte, and in her difficulty had consulted Mr Broune Mr Broune was the staff on which she leant at present in all her difficulties Mr Broune was going to the dinner All this of course took place while Melmotte's name was as yet unsullied as snow Mr Broune saw no reason why Lady Carbury should not take advantage of her tickets These invitations were simply tickets to see the E lady's elopeo, if it were only for the sake of showing that you did not consider yourself to be implicated in the matter' Lady Carbury did as she was advised, and took her daughter with her 'Nonsense,' said the mother, when Hetta objected; 'Mr Broune sees it quite in the right light This is a grand demonstration in honour of the E to offend the Melmottes You know you wish to see the Emperor' A few minutes before they started from Welbeck Street a note came from Mr Broune, written in pencil and sent from Melmotte's house by a Commissioner 'Don't mind what you hear; but coht The E is beautiful, and P's are as thick as blackberries' Lady Carbury, who had not been in the way of hearing the reports, understood nothing of this; but of course she went And Hetta ith her