manipulated, which has ever opened itself before the eyes of a great commercial people,’ as Mr Fisker with his peculiar eloquence observed through his nose, about this time, to a meeting of shareholders at San Francisco,—­had swung itself across from California to London, turning itself to the centre of the commercial world as the needle turns to the pole, till Mr Fisker almost regretted the deed which himself had done.  And Melmotte was not only the head, but the body also, and the feet of it all.  The shares seemed to be all in Melmotte’s pocket, so that he could distribute them as he would; and it seemed also that when distributed and sold, and when bought again and sold again, they came back to Melmotte’s pocket.  Men were contented to buy their shares and to pay...