"Upon my word, Seton, I cannot make out what has come over that silly girl," said Lady Mary as her liege lord appeared. "She came here begging to be allowed to go up and see Farrow and to be assured that he would live, and then the moment you all put in an appearance she simply dashed away, as you saw. I really cannot understand what can be the matter with her."
"Don't bother about that just now, Mary; don't bother about anything, my dear, but what this amazing man has promised," exclaimed the major excitedly. "Do you know, he has declared that if we give him until half-past seven to-night----"
"Your pardon, Major--I amend that," he said. "I know all about the horse and it will not now take so long as I thought to know all about the 'dog' as well. Give me one hour, Major--just one, gentlemen, all--and I will give you the answer to the riddle--every part of it: dog's part as well as horse's--here on this spot, so surely as I am a living man. Major, all I ask of you is one thing. Let me have a couple of your grooms out there on the moor inside of the next fifteen minutes, please. May I have them?"
"Certainly, Mr. Cleek--as many as you want."
"Two will do, thanks. Two are enough for fair play in any little bout and--not going to stop and see the finish, Captain? It will all be over in an hour."
"Sorry, but I've got my packing to attend to, my man."
"Ah, to be sure. Oh, well, it doesn't matter. You know the proverb: 'If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, why, Mahomet must go to the mountain,' of course," said Cleek. "I'll just slip round to the dairy and have a glass of milk to brace me up for the business and then--in one hour--in just one by the watch--you shall have the answer to the riddle--_here_."
Then, with a bow to Lady Mary, he walked out of the stable and went round the angle of the building after Maggie McFarland.
He lived up to the letter of his promise.
In an hour he had said when he walked out, and it was an hour to the very tick of the minute when he came back.
Mr. Narkom knowing him so well, knowing how, in the final moments of his _coups_, he was apt to become somewhat spectacular and theatrical, looked for him to return with a flourish of trumpets and carry all before him with a whirlwind rush; so that it came in the nature of a great surprise, when with the calmness of a man coming in to tea he entered the stable with a large stone bottle in one hand and an hostler's sponge in the other.