The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope [good story books to read .txt] 📗

he would “take a rise” as he called it out of Montague. “What’s this I hear about a lady at Islington?” he asked.

“Who has told you anything about a lady at Islington?”

“A little bird. There are always little birds about telling of ladies. I’m told that I’m to congratulate you on your coming marriage.”

“Then you’ve been told an infernal falsehood,” said 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 Peking?”

“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. Melmotte,” said Paul.

“A man with my business on his hands is bound to be quick, sir.”

“But I must be precise. I cannot tell you as a fact that I shall withdraw from the Board till I receive the advice of a friend with whom I am consulting. I hardly yet know what my duty may be.”

“I’ll tell you, sir, what can not be your duty. It cannot be your duty to make known out of that Boardroom any of the affairs of the Company which you have learned in that Boardroom. It cannot be your duty to divulge the circumstances of the Company or any differences which may exist between Directors of the Company, to any gentleman who is a stranger to the Company. It cannot be your duty⁠—.”

“Thank you, Mr. Melmotte. On matters such as that I think that I can see my own way. I have been in fault in coming in to the Board without understanding what duties I should have to perform⁠—.”

“Very much in fault, I should say,” replied Melmotte, whose arrogance in the midst of his inflated glory was overcoming him.

“But in reference to what I may or may not say to any friend, or how far I should be restricted by the scruples of a gentleman, I do not want advice from you.”

“Very well;⁠—very well. I can’t ask you to stay, because a partner from the house of Todd, Brehgert, and Goldsheiner is waiting to see me, about matters which are rather more important than this of yours.” Montague had said what he had to say, and departed.

On the following day, three-quarters of an hour before the meeting of the Board of Directors, old Mr. Longestaffe called in Abchurch Lane. He was received very civilly by Miles Grendall, and asked to sit down. Mr. Melmotte quite expected him, and would walk with him over to the offices of the railway, and introduce him to the Board. Mr. Longestaffe, with some shyness, intimated his desire to have a few moments conversation with the chairman before the Board met. Fearing his son, especially fearing Squercum, he had made up his mind to suggest that the little matter about Pickering Park should be settled. Miles assured him that the opportunity should be given him, but that at the present moment the chief secretary of the Russian Legation was with Mr. Melmotte. Either the chief secretary was very tedious with his business, or else other big men must have come in, for Mr. Longestaffe was not relieved till he was summoned to walk off to the Board five minutes after the hour at which the Board should have met. He thought that he could explain his views in the street; but on the stairs they were joined by Mr. Cohenlupe, and in three minutes they were in the Boardroom. Mr. Longestaffe was then presented, and took the chair opposite to Miles Grendall. Montague was not there, but had sent a letter to the secretary explaining that for reasons with which the chairman was acquainted he should absent himself from the present meeting. “All right,” said Melmotte.