'
'But that deil o' a Peter,' said Archie, impatiently.
'If you will permit me, Madame,' said Vandeloup, 'I will write out a
cheque for the amount of money due to him, and you will sign it. I
will go into Ballarat to-morrow, and get him away to Melbourne. I
propose to buy him a box and some clothes, as he certainly is not
capable of getting them himself.'
'You have a kind heart, M. Vandeloup,' said Madame, as she assented
with a nod.
A stifled laugh came from the Doctor, but as he was such an
extremely eccentric individual no one minded him.
'Come, Monsieur,' said Vandeloup, going to the door, 'let us be off
to the office and see how much is due to my friend,' and with a bow
to Madame, he went out.
'A braw sort o' freend,' muttered Archie, as he followed.
'Quite good enough for him,' retorted Dr Gollipeck, who overheard
him.
Archie looked at him approvingly, nodded his head, and went out
after the Frenchman, but Madame, being a woman and curious, asked
the doctor what he meant.
His reply was peculiar.
'Our friend,' he said, putting his handkerchief in his pocket and
seizing his greasy old hat, 'our friend believes in the greatest
number.'
'And what is the greatest number?' asked Madame, innocently.
'Number one,' retorted the Doctor, and took his leave abruptly,
leaving two buttons and several pins on the floor as traces of his
visit.
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