'I'll pay you out for all you've done,' he muttered to himself, as
he lay curled up in the black shadow like a noisome reptile. 'Tit
for tat, my lady!-tit for tat!'
CHAPTER XII
HIGHWAY ROBBERY
Dinner at Mr Marchurst's house was not a particularly exhilarating
affair. As a matter of fact, though dignified with the name of
dinner, it was nothing more than one of those mixed meals known as
high tea. Vandeloup knew this, and, having a strong aversion to the
miscellaneous collection of victuals which appeared on Mr
Marchurst's table, he dined at Craig's Hotel, where he had a nice
little dinner, and drank a pint bottle of champagne in order to
thoroughly enjoy himself. Madame Midas also had a dislike to tea-
dinners, but, being a guest, of course had to take what was going;
and she, Kitty, and Mr Marchurst, were the only people present at
the festive board. At last Mr Marchurst finished and delivered a
long address of thanks to Heaven for the good food they had enjoyed,
which good food, being heavy and badly cooked, was warranted to give
them all indigestion and turn their praying to cursing. In fact,
what with strong tea, hurried meals, and no exercise, Mr Marchurst
used to pass an awful time with the nightmare, and although he was
accustomed to look upon nightmares as visions, they were due more to
dyspepsia than inspiration.
After dinner Madame sat and talked with Marchurst, but Kitty went
outside into the warm darkness of the summer night, and tried to
pierce the gloom to see if her lover was coming.
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