I handed the sheath to Sir Giles, who began to decipher the number on the ivory ticket.
‘The label is quite a new one,’ I said.
‘I have already accounted for that,’ said Brotherton. ‘I will leave it to yourself to decide whether the description corresponds.’
Sir Giles read out the number figure by figure, adding—
‘But how are we to test the description? I don’t know the thing, and it’s not here.’
‘It is at the Moat,’ I replied; ‘but its future place is at Sir Giles’s decision.’
‘Part of the description belongs to the scabbard you have in your hand, sir,’ said Brotherton. ‘The description of the sword itself I submit to Mr Cumbermede.’
‘Till the other day I never saw the blade,’ I said.
‘Likely enough,’ he retorted dryly, and proceeding, read the description of the half-basket hilt, inlaid with gold, and the broad blade, channeled near the hilt, and inlaid with ornaments and initials in gold.
‘There is nothing in all that about the scabbard,’ said his father.