had already had one lover who had been nearly accepted.  The affair, however, had gone off.  In this ‘going off’ no one imputed to the young lady blame or even misfortune.  It was not supposed that she had either jilted or been jilted.  As in royal espousals interests of State regulate their expedience with an acknowledged absence, with even a proclaimed impossibility, of personal predilections, so in this case was money allowed to have the same weight.  Such a marriage would or would not be sanctioned in accordance with great pecuniary arrangements.  The young Lord Nidderdale, the eldest son of the Marquis of Auld Reekie, had offered to take the girl and make her Marchioness in the process of time for half a million down.  Melmotte had not objected to the sum,—­so it was said,&mdash...