'He is a ruined man. Your cousin says that all this Company in which he is involved will go to pieces.'
Hetta was too clever to allow this argument to pass. She did not doubt that Roger had so spoken of the Railway to her mother, but she did doubt that her mother had believed the story. 'If so,' said she, 'Mr Melmotte will be a ruined man too, and yet you want Felix to marry Marie Melmotte.'
'It makes me ill to hear you talk,--as if you understood these things. And you think you will marry this man because he is to make a fortune out of the Railway!' Lady Carbury was able to speak with an extremity of scorn in reference to the assumed pursuit by one of her children of an advantageous position which she was doing all in her power to recommend to the other child.
'I have not thought of his fortune. I have not thought of marrying him, mamma. I think you are very cruel to me. You say things so hard, that I cannot bear them.'
'Why will you not marry your cousin?'
'I am not good enough for him.'
'Nonsense!'
'Very well; you say so. But that is what I think. He is so much above me, that, though I do love him, I cannot think of him in that way. And I have told you that I do love some one else. I have no secret from you now. Good night, mamma,' she said, coming up to her mother and kissing her. 'Do be kind to me; and pray,--pray,--do believe me.' Lady Carbury then allowed herself to be kissed, and allowed her daughter to leave the room.
There was a great deal said that night between Roger Carbury and Paul Montague before they parted. As they walked together to Roger's hotel he said not a word as to Paul's presence in Welbeck Street. Paul had declared his visit in Lady Carbury's absence to have been accidental,-- and therefore there was nothing more to be said. Montague then asked as to the cause of Carbury's journey to London. 'I do not wish it to be talked of,' said Roger after a pause,--'and of course I could not speak of it before Hetta. A girl has gone away from our neighbourhood. You remember old Ruggles?'
'You do not mean that Ruby has levanted? She was to have married John Crumb.'
'Just so,--but she has gone off, leaving John Crumb in an unhappy frame of mind. John Crumb is an honest man and almost too good for her.'