'Creeds generally cause quarrels.'
Vandeloup shrugged his shoulders.
'And quarrels generally cause stories,' he said, smiling; 'it is the
law of compensation.'
They then went to the drawing-room and Kitty and Vandeloup both
sang, and treated one another in a delightfully polite way. Madame
Midas and Calton were both clever, but how much cleverer were the
two young people at the piano.
'Are you going to Meddlechip's ball?' said Calton to Madame.
'Oh, yes,' she answered, nodding her head, 'I and Miss Marchurst are
both going.'
'Who is Mr Meddlechip?' asked Kitty, swinging round on the piano-
stool.
'He is the most charitable man in Melbourne,' said Gaston, with a
faint sneer.
'Great is Diana of the Ephesians,' said Calton, mockingly. 'Because
Mr Meddlechip suffers from too much money, and has to get rid of it
to prevent himself being crushed like Tarpeia by the Sabine shields,
he is called charitable.'
'He does good, though, doesn't he?' asked Madame.
'See advertisement,' scoffed Calton. 'Oh, yes! he will give
thousands of pounds for any public object, but private charity is a
waste of money in his eyes.'
'You are very hard on him,' said Madame Midas, with a laugh.
'Ah! Mr Calton believes as I do,' cried Vandeloup, 'that it's no
good having friends unless you're privileged to abuse them.'
'It's one you take full advantage of, then,' observed Kitty,
saucily.
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