He tried to speak, but could not; he was dimly aware of being lifted bodily from the ground; he saw Worth’s face above him, and then he slid into unconsciousness.
The Earl laid him down on the couch against one wall and loosened the folds of his cravat. He stood frowning down at him for a minute, his fingers lightly clasping one slack wrist, his eyes watchfully intent on Peregrine’s face. Then he moved away to where the empty wine-glass lay on the carpet, picked it up, and put it on the table, and went out of the room, locking the door behind him.
There was no one in the hall. The Earl let himself out through the back door on to the iron steps, and went down them into the yard. The tiger met him, and grinned impishly. The Earl looked him over. “Well, Henry?”
“Shapleys’s not back yet from wherever it was you sent him off to, guv’nor, and you know werry well you let the under-groom go off for the day.”
“I had not forgotten it. Did you do what I told you?”
“O’ course I did what you told me!” answered Henry, aggrieved. “Don’t I always? I knew he wouldn’t say no to anything out of a bottle. ‘Flesh-and-blood this is,’ I says to him, but Lord love yer, guv’nor, he wouldn’t have known different if I’d said it was daffy! He tosses it off, and smacks his lips, and I’m blessed if he didn’t sit down right there under my werry nose, and drop off to sleep! I never seen anything like it in all my puff!”
“The sooner you forget that you saw it at all, the better,” commented the Earl. “Where is Hinkson?”
“Oh, him!” Henry sniffed disparagingly and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Putting the horses to, he is, which is about all he’s good for, and not so werry good at that either, if you was to ask me.”
“Don’t be jealous, Henry. You have done your part very well, but you cannot do everything,” said the Earl, and walked across the yard to the stables just as Hinkson led out Peregrine’s two horses. “Get those horses put to, Ned. Any trouble?”
“No, my lord, not at my end of the business—not yet, that is. But Tyler’s been getting smoky about me. I gammoned him I was boozy, and he thought he’d left me safe under the table. But I’m scared of this, my lord; properly scared I am. Broad daylight!”