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Updated: May 2, 2025
'No, I do not lie, he said, in a concentrated voice of anger; 'you followed me up to the house of M. Meddlechip, and hid among the trees on the lawn to watch the house; you saw Bebe throw the bottle out, and picked it up; then you went to St Kilda and, climbing over the wall, committed the crime, as she, pointing to Kitty, 'saw you do; I met you in the street near the house after you had committed it, and see, plunging his hand into Villiers' pocket, 'here is the bottle which contained the poison, and he held up to Kitty the bottle with the two red bands round it, which she had thrown away.
The ball-room was at the side of the house, and from it French windows opened on to a wide verandah, which was enclosed with drapery and hung with many-coloured Chinese lanterns. Beyond this the smooth green lawns stretched away to a thick fringe of trees, which grew beside the fence and screened the Meddlechip residence from the curious gaze of vulgar eyes.
Gaston gave his name, whereupon they were allowed to enter, and the door was closed after them in the same quiet manner, all of which was very distasteful to Mr Meddlechip, who, being a public man and a prominent citizen, felt that he was breaking the laws he had assisted to make.
'Bah! who will believe that? retorted M. Vandeloup, with a shrug; 'but never mind this at present; let me hear what you intend to do. 'You know a secret, said Meddlechip, nervously, 'which is dangerous to me; you want to sell it; well, I will be the buyer name your price. 'Five hundred pounds, said Vandeloup, quietly.
He goes to the house of Adele Blondet at half-past twelve o'clock the hour now, he said, rapidly swinging round and pointing to the clock on the mantelpiece, which had just struck the half-hour; 'he found them at supper, releasing Meddlechip's wrist and crossing to the sofa; 'he sat opposite Kestrike, as he does now, leaning forward and glaring at Meddlechip, who shrank back in his chair.
The general opinion was that he was supplied with money by Mrs Meddlechip, while others said he gambled; and, indeed, Barty was rather clever at throwing sixes, and frequently at the Bachelors' Club won a sufficient sum to give him a new suit of clothes or pay his club subscription for the year.
'I've done a good stroke of business tonight, he said, smiling, as he felt the cheque in his pocket, 'and I'll venture the whole lot on this Magpie reef. If it succeeds I will be rich; if it does not well, there is always Meddlechip as my banker. Then his thoughts went back to Kitty, for the reason of his going home so late was that he wanted to find out in what frame of mind she was.
'I don't want to hear it, retorted the other, harshly, having an intuitive idea what the story would be about. 'Possibly not, replied M. Vandeloup, smoothly; 'nevertheless it is my wish that you should hear it. Meddlechip looked as if he were inclined to resent this plain speaking, but after a pause evidently thought better of it, and went on tranquilly eating his supper.
He bought a grand house at Toorak, then he bought a wife to do the honours of the grand house, and when his domestic affairs were quite settled, he bought popularity, which is about the cheapest thing anyone can buy. When the Society for the Supplying of Aborigines with White Waistcoats was started he headed the list with one thousand pounds bravo, Meddlechip!
This lady was one of those modern inventions known as a frisky matron, and said and did all manner of dreadful things, which people winked at because she was Mrs Meddlechip, and eccentric. She had a young man always dangling after her at theatres and dances sometimes one, sometimes another, but there was one who was a fixture.
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