they required no painful attention; but when the soda water and brandy and cigars made their appearance in Mr Longestaffe’s own back room, then the trumpet was sounded with a full blast.  ‘I mean to let the fellows know what’s what,’ said Melmotte, walking about the room.  Lord Alfred had thrown himself into an arm-chair, and was consoling himself as best he might with tobacco.  ’Give and take is a very good motto.  If I scratch their back, I mean them to scratch mine.  They won’t find many people to spend ten thousand pounds in entertaining a guest of the country’s as a private enterprise.  I don’t know of any other man of business who could do it, or would do it.  It’s not much any...