“Leo!”
“Yes; I said ‘stop.’ We are not children,” she cried, in an imperative voice. “Let the man speak here.”
“It was about Sir Thomas, ma’am—my master,” faltered the man, before Salis had recovered from his astonishment. “An accident.”
“An accident?” cried Leo, as Salis stepped to her side, and laid his hand upon her arm; but she shrank away. “Well, sir, why do you not speak?”
“Am I to speak, sir?” faltered the man.
“Yes; speak out,” said Salis quietly.
“My master did not come home last night, sir—I mean this morning. He often goes out of a night, sir, very late; but he always comes in at daybreak. I’ve seen him dozens of times.”
“Yes; go on,” said Leo harshly.
“He didn’t come back, miss—ma’am; and I was thinking about it when I went to the stables and took his mare and the pad-horse out for exercise.”
“Speak more quickly, man,” said Leo imperiously.