'I was carried away to the Bank of England and could not help myself,' said Melmotte. 'And when they get me there I can never get away again.'
'My son is very anxious to have the payments made about Pickering,' said Mr Longestaffe, absolutely holding Melmotte by the collar of his coat.
'Payments for Pickering!' said Melmotte, assuming an air of unimportant doubt,--of doubt as though the thing were of no real moment. 'Haven't they been made?'
'Certainly not,' said Mr Longestaffe, 'unless made this morning.'
'There was something about it, but I cannot just remember what. My second cashier, Mr Smith, manages all my private affairs, and they go clean out of my head. I'm afraid he's in Grosvenor Square at this moment. Let me see;--Pickering! Wasn't there some question of a mortgage? I'm sure there was something about a mortgage.'
'There was a mortgage, of course,--but that only made three payments necessary instead of two.'
'But there was some unavoidable delay about the papers;--something occasioned by the mortgagee. I know there was. But you shan't be inconvenienced, Mr Longestaffe.'
'It's my son, Mr Melmotte. He's got a lawyer of his own.'
'I never knew a young man that wasn't in a hurry for his money,' said Melmotte laughing. 'Oh, yes;--there were three payments to be made; one to you, one to your son, and one to the mortgagee. I will speak to Mr Smith myself to-morrow--and you may tell your son that he really need not trouble his lawyer. He will only be losing his money, for lawyers are expensive. What! you won't come to the Board? I am sorry for that.' Mr Longestaffe, having after a fashion said what he had to say, declined to go to the Board. A painful rumour had reached him the day before, which had been communicated to him in a very quiet way by a very old friend,--by a member of a private firm of bankers whom he was accustomed to regard as the wisest and most eminent man of his acquaintance,--that Pickering had been already mortgaged to its full value by its new owner. 'Mind, I know nothing,' said the banker. 'The report has reached me, and if it be true, it shows that Mr Melmotte must be much pressed for money. It does not concern you at all if you have got your price. But it seems to be rather a quick transaction. I suppose you have, or he wouldn't have the title-deeds.' Mr Longestaffe thanked his friend, and acknowledged that there had been something remiss on his part. Therefore, as he went westward, he was low in spirits. But nevertheless he had been reassured by Melmotte's manner.