Paul Montague understood nothing of all this, and felt that he was standing on ground which might be blown from under his feet at any moment.  The uncertainty, and what he feared might be the dishonesty, of the whole thing, made him often very miserable.  In those wretched moments his conscience was asserting itself.  But again there were times in which he also was almost triumphant, and in which he felt the delight of his wealth.  Though he was snubbed at the Board when he wanted explanations, he received very great attention outside the board-room from those connected with the enterprise.  Melmotte had asked him to dine two or three times.  Mr Cohenlupe had begged him to go down to his little place at Rickmansworth,—­an entreaty with which Montague had not as yet complied.  Lord Alfred was always...