“Oh, don’t we know?” Ulverston said, in a savage under-voice. “Poacher, indeed! Chard knows better!”
“I particularly requested him to say nothing more than that,” said Miss Morville. “I believe it is what he would wish.”
A train of thought was set up in the Earl’s mind. He said suddenly: “She does not object to Pug, and they can make up ten beds.”
“That is excellent,” said Miss Morville calmly, sponging his face again. “Now you may rest.”
“What happened to me?” he asked.
“You met with a slight accident, but it is of no consequence. You will be better directly.”
“Oh!” His eyelids were dropping again, but he smiled, and murmured: “You are always coming to my rescue!”
She returned no answer. He sank into a half-waking, half-dreaming state, aware of an occasional movement in the room, but not troubled by it. Once, a firm, light hand held his wrist for a minute, but he did not open his eyes.
But presently he was disturbed, rather to his annoyance, by a new and an unknown voice, which seemed to be asking a great many questions, and issuing a tiresome number of orders. It was interrupted by Ulverston’s voice several times. The Earl was not at all surprised when he heard the strange voice say: “I assure your lordship I should prefer to have no one but Miss Morville and the valet to assist me.”
Ulverston seemed to think that Miss Morville could not assist the stranger. He said, in his most imperious tone: “Nonsense! She could not do it!”