‘A dream, sir,’ repeated Derrick—‘one I had last night.’
‘Well, as your mind appears to be somewhat uneasy,’ remarked Sir Carnaby, with a slight smile playing over his features, ‘I should recommend open confession as being the proper thing to relieve it.’
‘There’s little enough to tell, sir,’ said Derrick; ‘’twas only a bit of dark sky up there that brought it back to me.’
‘Well,’ said Sir Carnaby simply.
‘It seemed to me,’ continued the attendant, ‘as if I was riding alone, holding your horse by the bridle. The moon was up, and the sky looked the same as it does out there. I can remember now quite plain that I felt kind of troubled, but what about, I know just as little as you, sir.’
‘Is that the whole story?’ asked Sir Carnaby with a laugh. ‘Well, I can tell you, good Derrick, so far as riding alone goes, your prophecy is likely to prove a true one, though I certainly don’t intend you to carry off my horse with you.—See here; this is something more important than a heavy-headed dream. You must start to-morrow for the Grange. Be in the saddle early, and don’t spare your spurs.’
‘Am I to go alone, sir?’
‘Certainly. The journey has no object beyond the delivery of this letter; and as inquiry is sure to be pretty rife concerning me, I shall stay where I am and await your return.’
Derrick received the sealed envelope which was handed to him with a gruff but respectful ‘Right, sir,’ and then relapsed into his customary silence.
‘I shall leave it to your discretion to find out the way,’ said Sir Carnaby. ‘Of course you will go armed?’