“That will be your man, sir. Will you have him in now, Mr. Torridon?”
Ralph assented.
“And then he must look at the horses to see that all is as you wish.”
Mr. Morris came in a moment later, and bowed with great deference to the little old lady, who enquired his name.
“When you have finished with your man, Mr. Torridon, perhaps you will allow him to ring for me at the door opposite. I will go with him to see the horses.”
Mr. Morris had brought with him the mass of his master’s papers, and when he had set these out and prepared the bedroom that opened out of the guest-parlour, he asked leave to go across and fetch the Abbess.
Ralph busied himself for half-an-hour or so in running over the Articles and Injunctions once more, and satisfying himself that he was perfect in his business; and he was just beginning to wonder why his servant had not reappeared when the door opened once more, and Mr. Morris slipped in.
“My horse is a little lame, sir,” he said. “I have been putting on a poultice.”
Ralph glanced up.
“He will be fit to travel, I suppose?”