Prowt stared for a moment before answering. Never in the memory of man had a bailiff been invited to dine with a squire of Haymore. Then he reflected that the young heir had been found in America, and that America was a very democratic and republican part of the world, and that would account for the free and easy ways of the new squire. Only the bailiff was afraid Mr. Hay might be going to ask the butler and the head groom to dine with him, also; and that the bailiff could not stand. If he had never dined with the squire, neither had he ever dined with butler or groom. While he hesitated, Ran, misunderstanding his perplexity, said kindly:
“An informal dinner, Prowt. Only the clergyman and his wife and daughter, my solicitor, my brother-in-law, two friends from America, Mrs. Hay and myself.”
Prowt drew a deep sigh of relief.
“Thank you, sir,” he said. “You do me great honor. When shall I bring my books for your examination?”
“Not this week, Prowt. This is Thursday. No business until Monday.”
“Just as you please, sir,” said the bailiff, picking up his hat and rising.
And without more words he bowed himself out of the library.
Ran went downstairs and rejoined his friends in the morning room, and entertained them with an account of his interview with the bailiff.
“My chief reason for asking him to dinner,” concluded the young man, “was that he might be present this evening to assist us in receiving Mr. and Mrs. Gentleman Geff and their esteemed brother and brother-in-law.”
At this moment the luncheon bell rang, and the whole party went across the hall to the small dining-room.