'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 Pekin?'
'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.'