Her hands were damp and cold.
"I'm glad to see you looking well," said Meldon, "Is the tea ready ?" "It is," said Sabina.
Meldon sat down and poured out two cups.
"Come along," he said, "and keep me company." Sabina sidled towards the table.
"I'm just after my tea," she said, "and I'd be ashamed to be sitting down with a gentleman like yourself." "Nonsense," said Meldon, "I want to talk to you, and I can't do that if you're standing there in the middle of the floor so as I'd get a crick in my neck trying to look at you.

Sit down at once." Sabina grinned sheepishly and sat down.

Meldon drank off his cup of tea at a draught, and poured out a second.
"Have you taken the advice I gave you the other day about your cooking ?" he asked.
"Is it making them things with olives ?" "It is." "Well, I have not; for I wouldn't be fit." "I'm glad to hear it," said Meldon.

"Circumstances have arisen since I last saw you which render it desirable that you should cook as badly as possible during the next few days.

There's a judge coming here this evening." "I heard Mr.Doyle saying that same," said Sabina.
"And he'll be expecting some sort of a dinner to-night." "There's a chicken ready to go into the oven for him any minute." "What you have to do," said Meldon, "is to see that he gets as bad a dinner as possible, and a worse breakfast to-morrow morning." "Bad, is it ?" "Uneatable," said Meldon.