Since his expulsion from the Rocket office things had not been going pleasantly with him. For a day or two he had deemed it expedient to keep in retirement, and when at last he did venture forth, in the vague hope of picking up some employment worthy of his talents, he took care to keep clear of the haunts of his former confederates, whom, after his last failure, he rather dreaded meeting.
It had been during this period that he had made the acquaintance of Shuckleford, and the prospect of revenge which that intimacy opened to him was a welcome diversion to the monotony of his existence.
But prospects of revenge do not fill empty stomachs, and Durfy at the end of a week began to discover that there might be an end even to the private resources of the late overseer of an evening newspaper and the part proprietor of an Agency Corporation. He was, in fact, getting hard up, and therefore, putting his pride in his empty pocket, he strolled down moodily to the Shades, determined at any rate to have a supper at somebody else’s expense.
He had not reckoned without his host, for after about half an hour’s impatient kicking of his heels outside, Mr Medlock and Mr Shanklin appeared on the scene, arm in arm.
They appeared by no means elated at seeing him, but that mattered very little to the hungry Durfy, who followed them into the supper-room and took his seat at the table beside them. If he had been possessed of any sensitiveness, it might have been wounded by the utter indifference, after the first signs of displeasure, they paid to his presence. They continued their conversation as though no third party had been near, and except that Mr Medlock nodded when the waiter said “For three?” seemed to see as little of him as Hamlet’s mother did of the Ghost.
However, for the time being that nod of Mr Medlock’s was all Durfy particularly coveted. He was hungry. Time enough to stand on his dignity when the knife and fork had done their work.
“Yes,” said Mr Shanklin, “time’s up to-day. I’ve told him where to find us. If he doesn’t, you must go your trip by yourself; I can safely stay and screw my man up.”
“Think he will turn up?”
“Can’t say. He seems to be flush enough of money still.”
“Well, he can’t say you’ve not helped him to get rid of it.”