But his retainer took it all in the
day's work, and never bore malice, continuing in his own cadging
pigheaded sort of way to labour early and late to prop up his master's
broken fortunes. "Lord, sir," as he once said to Harold Quaritch when
the Colonel condoled with him after a violent and unjust onslaught
made by the Squire in his presence, "Lord, sir, that ain't nawthing,
that ain't. I don't pay no manner of heed to that. Folk du say how as
I wor made for he, like a safety walve for a traction engine."
Indeed, had it not been for George's contrivings and procrastinations,
Honham Castle and its owner would have parted company long before.
CHAPTER VII
EDWARD COSSEY, ESQUIRE
After George had drunk his glass of wine and given his opinion as to
the best way to deal with the dangerous pinnacle on the Boisingham
Church, he took the note, untied the fat pony, and ambled off to
Honham, leaving the lawyer alone. As soon as he was gone, Mr. Quest
threw himself back in his chair--an old oak one, by-the-way, for he
had a very pretty taste in old oak and a positive mania for collecting
it--and plunged into a brown study.
Presently he leant forward, unlocked the top drawer of his writing
table, and extracted from it a letter addressed to himself which he
had received that very morning.
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