'
'And the bill?' queried Miss Twexby, anxiously.
'I will pay it,' said Vandeloup, at which she was going to say he
was very generous, but suppressed the compliment when he added, 'out
of his own money.'
Gaston, however, failed to persuade Pierre to accompany him round to
buy an outfit. For the dumb man lay on his bed, and obstinately
refused to move out of the room. He, however, acquiesced sullenly
when his friend told him he was going to Melbourne, so Vandeloup
left the room, having first secured Pierre's knife, and locked the
door after him. He gave the knife to Miss Twexby, with injunctions
to her to keep it safe, then sallied forth to buy his shipwrecked
friend a box and some clothes.
He spent about ten pounds in buying an outfit for the dumb man,
hired a cab to call at the 'Wattle Tree' Hotel at seven o'clock to
take the box and its owner to the station. And then feeling he had
done his duty and deserved some recompense, he had a nice little
luncheon and a small bottle of wine for which he paid out of
Pierre's money. When he finished he bought a choice cigar, had a
glass of Chartreuse, and after resting in the commercial room for a
time he went out for a walk, intending to call on Slivers and Dr
Gollipeck, and in fact do anything to kill time until it would be
necessary for him to go to Pierre and take him to the railway
station.
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