 yes he did.
    Ferdinand, meanwhile, was the only one of the party who skirmished on the
outside of the circle; he kept about midway between it and the two, as if some
sort of surgical operation were being performed by Lord Decimus on Mr. Merdle,
or by Mr. Merdle on Lord Decimus, and his services might at any moment be
required as Dresser. In fact, within a quarter of an hour, Lord Decimus called
to him »Ferdinand!« and he went, and took his place in the conference for some
five minutes more. Then a half-suppressed gasp broke out among the Chorus; for,
Lord Decimus rose to take his leave. Again coached up by Ferdinand to the point
of making himself popular, he shook hands in the most brilliant manner with the
whole company, and even said to Bar, »I hope you were not bored by my pears?« To
which Bar retorted, »Eton, my lord, or Parliamentary?« neatly showing that he
had mastered the joke, and delicately insinuating that he could never forget it
while his life remained.
    All the grave importance that was buttoned up in Mr. Tite Barnacle, took
itself away next; and Ferdinand took himself away next, to the opera. Some of
the rest lingered a little, marrying golden liqueur glasses to Buhl tables with
sticky rings; on the desperate chance of Mr. Merdle's saying something. But
Merdle, as usual, oozed sluggishly and muddily about his drawing-room, saying
never a word.
    In a day or two it was announced to all the town, that Edmund Sparkler,
Esquire, step-son of the eminent Mr. Merdle of world-wide renown, was made one
of the Lords of the Circumlocution Office; and proclamation was issued, to all
true believers, that this admirable appointment was to be hailed as a graceful
and gracious mark of homage, rendered by the graceful and gracious Decimus, to
that commercial interest which must ever in a great commercial country - and all
the rest of it, with blast of trumpet. So, bolstered by this mark of Government
homage, the wonderful Bank and all the other wonderful undertakings went on and
went up; and gapers came to Harley Street, Cavendish Square, only to look at the
house where the golden wonder lived.
    And when they saw the Chief Butler looking out at the hall-door in his
moments of condescension, the gapers said how rich he looked, and wondered how
much money he had in the wonderful Bank. But, if they had known that respectable
Nemesis better, they
