'What does it matter to you if he's eighty? You are determined, then, you won't go?'
But Lady Monogram had by no means determined that she wouldn't go. She had paid her price, and with that economy which sticks to a woman always in the midst of her extravagances, she could not bear to lose the thing that she had bought. She cared nothing for Melmotte's villainy, as regarded herself. That he was enriching himself by the daily plunder of the innocent she had taken for granted since she had first heard of him. She had but a confused idea of any difference between commerce and fraud. But it would grieve her greatly to become known as one of an awkward squad of people who had driven to the door, and perhaps been admitted to some wretched gathering of wretched people,--and not, after all, to have met the Emperor and the Prince. But then, should she hear on the next morning that the Emperor and the Princes, that the Princesses, and the Duchesses, with the Ambassadors, Cabinet Ministers, and proper sort of world generally, had all been there,--that the world, in short, had ignored Melmotte's villainy,-- then would her grief be still greater. She sat down to dinner with her husband and Miss Longestaffe, and could not talk freely on the matter. Miss Longestaffe was still a guest of the Melmottes, although she had transferred herself to the Monograms for a day or two. And a horrible idea crossed Lady Monogram's mind. What should she do with her friend Georgiana if the whole Melmotte establishment were suddenly broken up? Of course, Madame Melmotte would refuse to take the girl back if her husband were sent to gaol. 'I suppose you'll go,' said Sir Damask as the ladies left the room.
'Of course we shall,--in about an hour,' said Lady Monogram as she left the room, looking round at him and rebuking him for his imprudence.
'Because, you know--' and then he called her back. 'If you want me I'll stay, of course; but if you don't, I'll go down to the club.'
'How can I say, yet? You needn't mind the club to-night.'
'All right;--only it's a bore being here alone.'
Then Miss Longestaffe asked what 'was up.' 'Is there any doubt about our going to-night?'
'I can't say. I'm so harassed that I don't know what I'm about. There seems to be a report that the Emperor won't be there.'
'Impossible!'
'It's all very well to say impossible, my dear,' said Lady Monogram; 'but still that's what people are saying. You see Mr Melmotte is a very great man, but perhaps--something else has turned up, so that he may be thrown over. Things of that kind do happen. You had better finish dressing. I shall. But I shan't make sure of going till I hear that the Emperor is there.' Then she descended to her husband, whom she found forlornly consoling himself with a cigar. 'Damask,' she said, 'you must find out.'