He had deposited his hat and cloak on one rickety rush-bottomed chair, and drawn another close to the fire.

He sat down with one leg crossed over the other, his podgy be-ringed hand wandering with loving gentleness down the length of his shapely calf.
He was nothing if not complacent, and his complacency seemed highly to irritate his friend Heron.
"Well, what is it ?" reiterated the latter, drawing his visitor's attention roughly to himself by banging his fist on the table.

"Out with it! What do you want?
Why have you come at this hour of the night to compromise me, I suppose--bring your own d--d neck and mine into the same noose--what ?" "Easy, easy, my friend," responded de Batz imperturbably; "waste not so much time in idle talk.

Why do I usually come to see you?
Surely you have had no cause to complain hitherto of the unprofitableness of my visits to you ?" "They will have to be still more profitable to me in the future," growled the other across the table.

"I have more power now." "I know you have," said de Batz suavely.