“Very well, if you must know,” he said with a grim smile, “to my lady, then.”
“Ah!” was all I answered, though I felt my heart quicken.
“And now I hope you are satisfied,” he continued, his former insolent manner returning. “So come, let us have no further waste of time.”
“What, as I am?” I cried quickly, remembering on a sudden the scantiness of my attire. Even the shirt I wore had been partly cut away to enable them to dress my wound. “Where is my uniform, you rascal?”
“Burnt!” he answered sneeringly. “And I have no orders to play the part of tailor.”
“To the devil with your orders!” I cried in a rage. “Get me some clothes, fool! Would you have me appear before ladies in this guise?”
Still for a moment he hesitated, then, “Wait,” he said briefly. And he went out, locking the heavy door behind him. When the last sound of his footsteps had died away, I commenced to pace the floor in some agitation. So I was to see my lady then? In good sooth I had need of all my composure to face the coming interview. Not for the world would I have her see that any words of hers had power to move me. Not for the world would I give her cause to triumph at my humiliation. Rapidly I shaped out in my own mind a course of conduct to pursue and had reduced my face to a state of impassiveness ere, after the lapse of some ten minutes, the steward’s returning footsteps again became audible.
This time he carried a bundle in his hand, which he flung as carelessly at my feet as one might fling a bone to some stray cur.
I turned it over with my foot. It was a coat of coarse brown cloth such as any groom might wear, and reeked indeed most vilely of the stable.
“Pah!” I said in disgust. “Is this the best you can find me, man?”