“Send him up,” he said, and then as Fisher was going out of the room he called him back.
“By the way, Fisher, after Mr. Gathercole has gone, you may go out for the night. You've got somewhere to go, I suppose, and you needn't come back until the morning.”
“Yes, sir,” said the servant.
Such an instruction was remarkably pleasing to him. There was much that he had to do and that night's freedom would assist him materially.
“Perhaps” Kara hesitated, “perhaps you had better wait until eleven o'clock. Bring me up some sandwiches and a large glass of milk. Or better still, place them on a plate in the hall.”
“Very good, sir,” said the man and withdrew.
Down below, that grotesque figure with his shiny hat and his ragged beard was walking up and down the tesselated hallway muttering to himself and staring at the various objects in the hall with a certain amused antagonism.
“Mr. Kara will see you, sir,” said Fisher.
“Oh!” said the other glaring at the unoffending Fisher, “that's very good of him. Very good of this person to see a scholar and a gentleman who has been about his dirty business for three years. Grown grey in his service! Do you understand that, my man!”
“Yes, sir,” said Fisher.