“Squire,” said Lydd, filling the jug. “Sent for me first thing, he did. His compliments, and he’ll be happy to see you this evening, if you’ll be so kind as to give him the pleasure of your company. Which, begging your pardon, sir, you better do, because he ain’t taking no for an answer.”
John rinsed the soap from his hands, and turned to pick up the towel. “There’s nothing I should like better, but—I have seen your mistress this morning, and she tells me that he must not be worried by visitors.”
“He won’t be worrited,” responded Lydd calmly. “The only thing as ’ud worrit him ’ud be if we wasn’t to obey orders. What’s more, Miss Nell don’t know as he wants to see you, gov’nor, because he ain’t told her, nor no one’s got to tell her.”
“What does his valet say?” John asked abruptly.
“He says as Squire’s got something on his mind, and he’d as lief have it took off. He did take the liberty of suggesting to Squire as p’raps he hadn’t better have no visitor today, but he got his nose snapped off for his pains, Squire being on his high ropes, and telling the pair of us he ain’t burnt to the socket yet. Damned our eyes proper, he did,” said Lydd, with simple pride.
“If he is well enough to see me this evening, I’ll come,” John said. “But I can’t leave the boy alone here after dark: he’s scared. Will you mind the gate for me?”
“That’s all right and tight, gov’nor. The way Mr. Winkfield and me has it planned, I’ve sent the stable-lad off home, and told him he needn’t come back till the morning, so there won’t be no one in the stables, them two beauties of Mr. Henry’s and Mr. Coate’s, which calls themselves grooms, taking themselves off regular to the boozing-ken up the road each evening. If they’re back afore midnight it’ll be for the first time, nor it wouldn’t matter if they was, because they’ll be too muddled to notice a strange horse—even if they was to go into the stables, which I never knew them do yet, not at that time o’ night. You don’t catch them making sure all’s right afore they turns in!” said Lydd, with bitter scorn. “If Squire’s still of the same mind, I’ll come along here when he’s had his dinner, and I’ll tell you the way. It ain’t difficult, and the moon’ll be up. All you got to do, gov’nor, is to turn in the first gate you come to, right-handed, a matter of a mile up the road. It’ll take you to the stables: it don’t go past the house. There’s a path which leads up to the side-door: you can’t mistake it. Mr. Winkfield will be there to take you to Squire.”
Thus it came about that when Ben, released after his dinner from attendance on the gate, returned at dusk after an afternoon of illicit adventure with Master Biggin, he was surprised to find the Captain’s horse stabled once more in the shed. When he slid, somewhat guiltily, into the kitchen, he was startled to perceive that his protector was wearing the shirt ironed that morning by Mrs. Skeffling, a well-tied cravat, and his topboots. He had not put on his coat or his waistcoat, and he was engaged in the homely occupation of frying eggs in a pan over the fire, but those gleaming topboots filled Ben with foreboding. In patent dismay he stood staring up at the Captain, his ruddy cheeks whitening.
John turned his head, surveying him with the hint of a smile in his eyes. “I suppose, if I did my duty by you, I should send you supperless to bed, shouldn’t I?” he remarked. “What devilry have you been up to, you young rascal?”
“Guv’nor—you ain’t going away?” Ben blurted out, his lip trembling.