Alone in my room I showered and put on some decent trousers, socks, and house-shoes, and a white poplin shirt with a navy blue silk tie. I brushed back my damp hair carefully in front of the mirror, and made sure my nails were clean. There was no point in entering an argument at a social disadvantage. Particularly with an earl as determined as this.

He stood up when I went back, and took in my changed appearance with one smooth glance.

I smiled fleetingly, and poured myself a drink, and another for him.

"I think," he said, 'that you may have guessed why I am here. "

"Perhaps."

"To persuade you to take a job I had in mind for Simmons," he said without preamble, and without haste.

"Yes," I said. I sipped my drink.

"And I can't do it."

We stood there eyeing each other. I knew that what he was seeing was a good deal different from the Daniel Roke he had met before. More substantial. More the sort of person he would have expected to find, perhaps. Clothes make the man, I thought wryly.

The day was fading, and I switched on the lights. The mountains outside the window retreated into darkness;

just as well, as I judged I would need all my resolution, and they were both literally and figuratively ranged behind October. The trouble was, of course, that with more than half my mind I wanted to take a crack at his fantastic job. And I knew it was madness. I couldn't afford it, for one thing.

"I've learned a good deal about you now," he said slowly.

"On my way from here yesterday it crossed my mind that it was a pity you were not Arthur Simmons;

you would have been perfect. You did, if you will forgive me saying so, look the part. " He sounded apologetic.

"But not now?"

"You know you don't. You changed so that you wouldn't, I imagine. But you could again. Oh, I've no doubt that if I'd met you yesterday inside this house looking as civilized as you do at this moment, the thought would never have occurred to me. But when I saw you first, walking across the paddock very tattered and half bare and looking like a gipsy, I did in fact take you for the hired help… I'm sorry."