“Thank you, my lady.”
Lady Selina turned to Agatha.
“I only heard this morning that your poor aunt was ill. I should like to see your uncle.”
Agatha, taken aback, hesitated. Nicodemus said promptly: “I’ll ask ’un to step down, my lady.”
As he went out, Nick emerged from the ingle-nook, carrying a fool’s cap, cleverly fashioned out of the newspaper he had purloined. Quite ignoring the great lady, intent only upon himself, he said pipingly:
“Here be your fool’s cap, Aggie.”
“What does he mean?” asked Lady Selina. She was conscious of the hostile atmosphere, mildly resentful that Agatha had not asked her to sit down, but willing to make due allowance for this breach of manners, because serious illness had obviously upset a tiny household.
“He means nothing,” replied Agatha hastily.
“Granfer Burble told me to make ’un.”
“Yes, yes. You can run away, Nick. You aren’t afraid of me, are you?”