In the meantime another scene was being acted in the room below. Melmotte after he reached the room hardly made a reference to his daughter,--merely saying that nothing would overcome her wicked obstinacy. He made no allusion to his own violence, nor had Croll the courage to expostulate with him now that the immediate danger was over. The Great Financier again arranged the papers, just as they had been laid out before,--as though he thought that the girl might be brought down to sign them there. And then he went on to explain to Croll what he had wanted to have done,--how necessary it was that the thing should be done, and how terribly cruel it was to him that in such a crisis of his life he should be hampered, impeded,--he did not venture to his clerk to say ruined,--by the ill-conditioned obstinacy of a girl! He explained very fully how absolutely the property was his own, how totally the girl was without any right to withhold it from him! How monstrous in its injustice was the present position of things! In all this Croll fully agreed. Then Melmotte went on to declare that he would not feel the slightest scruple in writing Marie's signature to the papers himself. He was the girl's father and was justified in acting for her. The property was his own property, and he was justified in doing with it as he pleased. Of course he would have no scruple in writing his daughter's name. Then he looked up at the clerk. The clerk again assented,--after a fashion, not by any means with the comfortable certainty with which he had signified his accordance with his employer's first propositions. But he did not, at any rate, hint any disapprobation of the step which Melmotte proposed to take. Then Melmotte went a step farther, and explained that the only difficulty in reference to such a transaction would be that the signature of his daughter would be required to be corroborated by that of a witness before he could use it. Then he again looked up at Croll;--but on this occasion Croll did not move a muscle of his face. There certainly was no assent. Melmotte continued to look at him; but then came upon the old clerk's countenance a stern look which amounted to very strong dissent. And yet Croll had been conversant with some irregular doings in his time, and Melmotte knew well the extent of Croll's experience. Then Melmotte made a little remark to himself. "He knows that the game is pretty well over." "You had better return to the city now," he said aloud. "I shall follow you in half an hour. It is quite possible that I may bring my daughter with me. If I can make her understand this thing I shall do so. In that case I shall want you to be ready." Croll again smiled, and again assented, and went his way.

In the meantime, in the room below, Melmotte hardly made a reference to his daughter, merely saying that nothing would overcome her wicked obstinacy. Croll did not have the courage to expostulate with him.
Melmotte again laid out the papers, as though he thought that the girl might be brought down to sign them. He explained to Croll how necessary it was that the thing should be done, and how terribly cruel it was that he should be hampered - he did not say ruined to his clerk - by the obstinacy of a girl! He explained how totally the girl was without any right to withhold his own property from him.
Then Melmotte declared that he would not feel the slightest scruple in writing Marie's signature himself. He was the girl's father and was justified in acting for her. The property was his own property, and he was justified in doing with it as he pleased.
He looked up at the clerk. Croll assented - after a fashion, by no means with comfortable certainty. But he did not hint any disapproval of the step which Melmotte proposed to take.
Then Melmotte went a step farther, and explained that the only difficulty would be that his daughter's signature would need to be corroborated by a witness. Then he again looked up at Croll. The old clerk's face took on a stern look which amounted to very strong dissent. And yet Croll had been conversant with some irregular doings in his time.
Melmotte thought, "He knows that the game is pretty well over." "You had better return to the city now," he said aloud. "I shall follow you in half an hour. I may bring my daughter with me. In that case I shall want you to be ready." Croll again smiled, and again assented, and went his way.
