“By the clock?”
“Yes, sir,” said rather sheepishly.
“Proceed; what happened next?”
“I went immediately to Mr. Bartholomew’s room, thinking that of course he would be ready for me now. But he was not. Instead, he bade me leave him and not come back for a full half hour, and not to allow any one else to disturb him. I was to give the same order to Wealthy.”
“And did you?”
“Yes, sir; and left her on the watch.”
“And where did you go?”
“To my room for a smoke.”
“Were you concerned at leaving Mr. Bartholomew alone for so long a time?”
“Yes, sir; we never liked to do that. He had grown to be too feeble. But he was not a man you could disobey even for his own good.”