He posted the letter himself on his way to lunch at the club where Wonnacott remarked on his high good humour.
Since the discontinuance of the Tuesday dinners (for they were not resumed after the establishment of the new relations), Huckaby, Billiter, and Vandermeer had contracted the habit of meeting once a week in the bar-parlour of a quiet tavern for a companionable fuddle. There they exchanged views on religion and alcohol, and related unveracious (and uncredited) anecdotes of their former high estate. Jealous of each other, however, they spoke little of Quixtus, and then only in general terms. The poor gentleman was still distraught. It was a sad case, causing them to wag their heads sorrowfully and order another round of whisky.
But one evening of depression, Quixtus having for some time refused their ministrations, and pockets having become woefully empty, they talked with greater freedom of their respective dealings with their patron. Vandermeer related the practical joke he had played upon him; Billiter described his astounding luck, and his crazy reason for retiring from the turf; and Huckaby, by way of illustrating the unbalanced state of Quixtus’s mind, confided to them the project of breaking a woman’s heart.
“What are you going to get out of it?” asked Vandermeer brutally, for the first time breaking through the pretence that they were three devoted friends banded together to protect the poor mad gentleman’s interests.
Huckaby raised a protesting hand. “My dear Van!”
“Oh, drop it,” cried Vandermeer. “You make me tired.” He repeated the question.
“Simply amusement. What else?” said Huckaby.
They wrangled foolishly for a while. At last Billiter, who had remained silent, brought his fist down, with a bang, on the table.
“I’ve got an idea,” said he. “Have you any particular woman in view?”
“Lord, no,” said Huckaby.