"Thou thinkest but of one thing at a time. I wish my master would do the same, for he is not one jot wiser for mixing up so many things together, like his cloaks hung upon the doors with his robes, clean and dirty all mixed up, everything heaped up over itself -"
Losshell strode into the room and gawped at Parnard.
"What are you doing back? Hast thou left any odd papers here? - but I thought I gathered them all up yesterday evening?"
Parnard snatched a book from the pile on the table, and thumbing through it, looked very busy. "No, no, Losshell. I returned - that is, I remembered a very pressing matter."
"You are come very far from your work, master, to look at The Lover's Manual. And that is very surprising!"
"I hate all this suspicion! Why can I not come home when I like?" he said, coloring as he turned over the leaves of the book. Damn! Losshell was quick.
Losshell gave the desk one or two slaps with her dusting cloth. "Tut! tut! It is all the same to me what you do with your time," she chided. "Only I am airing out the sitting room now. This seat is lumpy - what have we here!" She pulled out a bottle from underneath the cushion. "Wine! How did this get here?"
"Do not make such a clamour about it: who cares how it got there!" And reaching forward, he put out his hand to take the bottle away. Losshell stepping aside yanked it out of his grasp.
"Red Wine! Before noon? You quite astonish me, Lord Ambassador. Here is a glass of water. Drink that instead."
Parnard accepted the water as gracefully as he could. "Is your work finished yet, Losshell?"
"When so much remains undone? Hast thou forgot the two inner rooms? What an uncouth sight that is! I was just telling Estarfin I have my work cut out for me, and very difficult work it is keeping up after you both."
Parnard drank the water in a languid, unaffected manner. With her grip like an iron vice wrapped in velvet, he decided against asking Losshell to finish her tasks later. His new housekeeper was very particular like that - very fond of her work, and very determined to see it done quickly. She was neat, thorough, industrious, economical, and quick. Very quick.
"Enough dawdling. I had better get started." Losshell took hold of her broom and dustpan and strode away, humming 'The Rise of the Evening Star,' under her breath.
"Wait! A word with you.” Parnard hesitated.
Losshell swiveled on her heel. "Yes?"
"Ah - I would like to give a little advice to you - advice which will no doubt better your place and help you to do better things," he said.
"Say what you please, young master, but if it is from that book of yours, I beg you to keep it to yourself."
"No, no, of course not! Ahem! It is absolutely necessary if we would be kind, in the truest sense of the word, to try by earnest and patient endeavor learning more about those around us, and thereby doing our very best to help them, and inspiring good results from our efforts."
"So many words, and few of them to the purpose. What are you talking about!"
"Ah ha! I wonder such an honest, plain speaking maiden as yourself should take so long to find service, or a husband. What I mean, Losshell, is to take an interest in your work, and go about your work with your ears and eyes open."
"You want me to eavesdrop on Estarfin?"
"No, no, not eavesdrop! I did not say that! Nothing of the sort! I meant that if you happened to hear some things, or noticed a few things, offhand, from watching his looks, and if you happened to, ah, deduce any, ah, glimmerings in that brain of his, I would be pleased if you told me at once. But first you must gain his confidence, which is not easy, and secondly, you must be discreet.”
"When I came to this house, I did not think I would be employed for such a troubling purpose. I do not like it."
"O! that there was less cause for suspicion in the world! I thank you for your opinion, but it is not my actions that I wish you to examine, but Estarfin's. Now, I cannot linger here: I must return to my office. But follow my instructions, and do what you can, else there will be no peace in this house.”
“Those whose purposes are good do not employ such means to affect them,” muttered Losshell. “How to find them out? - that is his perplexity, not mine.”
