Filipe heartily
disliked Fenton, chiefly because Fenton openly disliked him. He was a
man who was petty enough to take advantage of his office to gratify his
personal spite, and shallow enough not to perceive that he had done so.
His whole fat person quivered with indignant gratification as he saw
Fenton in the _role_ of a culprit, and he bent his look upon the notes
spread out before him because he was aware that his eyes showed more
satisfaction than was by any means decorous.
The meeting partook of that awkward unofficial nature which makes
matters of discipline so hard in a social club. The men present were
Fenton's companions and associates, and the dignity with which their
position invested them was hardly sufficient to put them at their ease.
They heartily wished to be done with the disagreeable business, and
were not without a feeling of personal vexation against the culprit for
forcing upon them anything so unpleasant as sitting in judgment upon
him.
The chairman, Mr. Staggchase, opened the case by saying in an offhand
manner, that they were all very sorry for the turn things had taken,
but that the evil of having strangers introduced into the club had
grown to proportions which made it impossible longer to overlook it,
and that this was especially true of the bringing into the house men
who not only were there in violation of the rules, but who were of a
character which made it more than a violation of good taste to
introduce them into the club at all.
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