"Very good, sir."
"And—oh, Ferguson."
"Yes, sir?"
"As the—er—mishap appears to be so serious, I think it best to have an expert from town advise with me before the work of repairing begins. You will therefore leave matters just as they are until I instruct you otherwise."
"Oh—very good, sir."
Peter turned his dissatisfied eyes from the back of the retreating sailing-master to Varney.
"What better proof d'you want than the rogue's face? Why didn't you fire him on the spot?"
"I neither hire nor fire here," said Varney. "These are Mr. Carstairs's employees. He will have to deal with them as he thinks best."
He rose immediately and put on his hat.
"With Mr. Higginson, however," he mused, starting for the stair, "the case is altogether different."