'Yes,' said Georgiana boldly, 'and Mr Brehgert is a Jew. His name is Ezekiel Brehgert, and he is a Jew. You can say what you like about it.'
'I don't say anything about it, my dear.'
'And you can think anything you like. Things are changed since you and I were younger.'
'Very much changed, it appears,' said Lady Monogram. Sir Damask's religion had never been doubted, though except on the occasion of his marriage no acquaintance of his had probably ever seen him in church.
But to tell her father and mother required a higher spirit than she had shown even in her communication to Lady Monogram, and that spirit had not as yet come to her. On the morning before she left the Melmottes in Bruton Street, her lover had been with her. The Melmottes of course knew of the engagement and quite approved of it. Madame Melmotte rather aspired to credit for having had so happy an affair arranged under her auspices. It was some set-off against Marie's unfortunate escapade. Mr Brehgert, therefore, had been allowed to come and go as he pleased, and on that morning he had pleased to come. They were sitting alone in some back room, and Brehgert was pressing for an early day. 'I don't think we need talk of that yet, Mr Brehgert,' she said.
'You might as well get over the difficulty and call me Ezekiel at once,' he remarked. Georgiana frowned, and made no soft little attempt at the name as ladies in such circumstances are wont to do. 'Mrs Brehgert'--he alluded of course to the mother of his children--'used to call me Ezzy.'
'Perhaps I shall do so some day,' said Miss Longestaffe, looking at her lover, and asking herself why she should not have been able to have the house and the money and the name of the wife without the troubles appertaining. She did not think it possible that she should ever call him Ezzy.
'And ven shall it be? I should say as early in August as possible.'
'In August!' she almost screamed. It was already July.
'Vy not, my dear? Ve would have our little holiday in Germany at Vienna. I have business there, and know many friends.' Then he pressed her hard to fix some day in the next month. It would be expedient that they should be married from the Melmottes' house, and the Melmottes would leave town some time in August. There was truth in this. Unless married from the Melmottes' house, she must go down to Caversham for the occasion,--which would be intolerable. No,--she must separate herself altogether from father and mother, and become one with the Melmottes and the Brehgerts,--till she could live it down and make a position for herself. If the spending of money could do it, it should be done.