"What!" exclaimed Droop. "The man who—" He broke off and stared awhile in silence. Finally, shaking his head: "Never would have thought it!" he said.
Copernicus lapsed into meditation and the drawer withdrew. At length Droop roused himself with a shake.
"Won't do no good to set here doin' nothin'," he muttered. Then, swallowing the remainder of his ale, he drew his letter of introduction from his pocket and walked back to the fireplace.
The knight, who was not sleeping very soundly, slightly opened one eye, and to his surprise, beheld a letter which Droop held almost under his nose.
Sitting up straight and now fully awake, Sir Percevall stared first at Copernicus and then at the letter.
"A letter!" he exclaimed. "For me?"
"Verily, yea," Droop replied, very politely.
The knight opened the letter slowly and turned so that the light from a window fell full upon it.
"What's here!" he exclaimed. "This direction is to my Lord Burleigh."
"Yep—oh, yes, yea!" said Droop, confusedly. "But you was to read it—peruse it, you wot—Bacon said as much. He said you knew the lord and could take me around, forsooth, and sorter interduce me, ye see."