"Oh, Felix, how grand it will be!" "There's a great deal to do, you know. I don't know whether it can be Thursday week." He was putting in the coward's plea for a reprieve. "I shall be afraid of Didon if it's delayed long." "There's the money to get, and all that." "I can get some money. Mamma has money in the house." "How much?" asked the baronet eagerly. "A hundred pounds, perhaps;--perhaps two hundred." "That would help certainly. I must go to your father for money. Won't that be a sell? To get it from him, to take you away!" It was decided that they were to go to New York, on a Thursday,--on Thursday week if possible, but as to that he was to let her know in a day or two. Didon was to pack up the clothes and get it sent out of the house. Didon was to have £50 before she went on board; and as one of the men must know about it, and must assist in having the trunks smuggled out of the house, he was to have £10. All had been settled beforehand, so that Sir Felix really had no need to think about anything. "And now," said Marie, "there's Didon. Nobody's looking and she can open that gate for you. When we're gone, do you creep out. The gate can be left, you know. Then we'll get out on the other side." Marie Melmotte was certainly a clever girl. CHAPTER XLII. "CAN YOU BE READY IN TEN MINUTES?" After leaving Melmotte's house on Sunday morning Paul Montague went to Roger Carbury's hotel and found his friend just returning from church. He was bound to go to Islington on that day, but had made up his mind that he would defer his visit till the evening. He would dine early and be with Mrs. Hurtle about seven o'clock. But it was necessary that Roger should hear the news about Ruby Ruggles. "It's not so bad as you thought," said he, "as she is living with her aunt." "I never heard of such an aunt." "She says her grandfather knows where she is, and that he doesn't want her back again." "Does she see Felix Carbury?" "I think she does," said Paul. "Then it doesn't matter whether the woman's her aunt or not. I'll go and see her and try to get her back to Bungay." "Why not send for John Crumb?" Roger hesitated for a moment, and then answered, "He'd give Felix such a thrashing as no man ever had before. My cousin deserves it as well as any man ever deserved a thrashing; but there are reasons why I should not like it. And he could not force her back with him. I don't suppose the girl is all bad,--if she could see the truth." "I don't think she's bad at all." "At any rate I'll go and see her," said Roger. "Perhaps I shall see your widow at the same time." Paul sighed, but said nothing more about his widow at that moment. "I'll walk up to Welbeck Street now," said Roger, taking his hat. "Perhaps I shall see you to-morrow." Paul felt that he could not go to Welbeck Street with his friend.