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Mr Melh he was not where he had been before that wretched Squercu, was able to hold his head reat banquet He had replied to the letter from Messrs Slow and Bideawhile, by a note written in the ordinary way in the office, and only signed by himself In this heSlow and Bideawhile were of course anxious that things should be settled They wanted no prosecution for forgery To make themselves clear in the matter, and their client,--and if possible to take some wind out of the sails of the odious Squercum;--this would suit them best They were prone to hope that for his own sake Melmotte would raise the money If it were raised there would be no reason why that note purporting to have been signed by Dolly Longestaffe should ever leave their office They still protested their belief that it did bear Dolly's signature They had various excuses for themselves It would have been useless for the experience that Dolly would not coestion,--and given to Dolly's father, had conature, sent to them,--as they believed,--with other papers by Dolly's father What justification could be clearer? But still the estaffe senior But if the ht Squercuht that the money would not be paid, and was ceaseless in his intercourse with Bideawhile's people He charged Slow and Bideawhile with having delivered up the title-deeds on the authority of a nature He demanded that the note should be impounded On the receipt by Mr Bideawhile of Melmotte's rather curt reply Mr Squercum was informed that Mr Melmotte had promised to pay the money at once, but that a day or two must be allowed Mr Squercum replied that on his client's behalf he should open the matter before the Lord Mayor

But in this o or three days had passed without any renewal of the accusation before the public, and Melree recovered his position The Beauclerks and the Luptons disliked and feared him as much as ever, but they did not quite dare to be so loud and confident in condemnation as they had been It was pretty well known that Mr Longestaffe had not received his reatly to shake the credit of aafter Melery was implied by the publication of any stateht probably have been very foolish Whoever expected anything but folly froht have been very re, sos attorneys would do in these days! But they who had expected to see Melulated their conduct accordingly, now iined that they had been deceived