'I've just been in the drawing-room, but I thought I'd look in on you as I came down.' It immediately occurred to Melmotte that the baronet had come about his share of the plunder out of the railway, and he at once resolved to be stern in his manner, and perhaps rude also. He believed that he should thrive best by resenting any interference with him in his capacity as financier. He thought that he had risen high enough to venture on such conduct, and experience had told him that men who were themselves only half-plucked, might easily be cowed by a savage assumption of superiority. And he, too, had generally the advantage of understanding the game, while those with whom he was concerned did not, at any rate, more than half understand it. He could thus trade either on the timidity or on the ignorance of his colleagues. When neither of these sufficed to give him undisputed mastery, then he cultivated the cupidity of his friends. He liked young associates because they were more timid and less greedy than their elders. Lord Nidderdale's suggestions had soon been put at rest, and Mr Melmotte anticipated no greater difficulty with Sir Felix. Lord Alfred he had been obliged to buy.
'I'm very glad to see you, and all that,' said Melmotte, assuming a certain exaltation of the eyebrows which they who had many dealings with him often found to be very disagreeable; 'but this is hardly a day for business, Sir Felix, nor,--yet a place for business.'
Sir Felix wished himself at the Beargarden. He certainly had come about business,--business of a particular sort; but Marie had told him that of all days Sunday would be the best, and had also told him that her father was more likely to be in a good humour on Sunday than on any other day. Sir Felix felt that he had not been received with good humour. 'I didn't mean to intrude, Mr Melmotte,' he said.
'I dare say not. I only thought I'd tell you. You might have been going to speak about that railway.'
'Oh dear no.'
'Your mother was saying to me down in the county that she hoped you attended to the business. I told her that there was nothing to attend to.'
'My mother doesn't understand anything at all about it,' said Sir Felix.
'Women never do. Well;--what can I do for you, now that you are here?'
'Mr Melmotte, I'm come,--I'm come to;--in short, Mr Melmotte, I want to propose myself as a suitor for your daughter's hand.'