sir.

_Lucas._ By the road?

_Criddle._ Yes, sir.

_Lucas._ That's how I've missed them. My car broke down the other side
of the clump, and so I walked over the fields.

_Criddle._ Yes, sir. I beg pardon, I hope the arm isn't serious.

_Lucas._ No, Criddle. Just serious enough to get me a couple of months'
leave, so that I could spend the New Year in England.

_Criddle._ You had it very hot in India, I suppose, sir?

_Lucas._ Blazing!

_Criddle._ We've got the same old weather here, you see, sir.

_Lucas._ Same old weather! Had any visitors for Christmas, Criddle?

_Criddle._ Mr. Barron, of course, and Professor and Mrs. Sturgess.

_Lucas._ Same old visitors--same visitors, I should say. Mr. Pilcher
still Vicar here, I suppose?

_Criddle._ Yes, sir. He gave us a wonderful sermon at the old year's
service last night.

_Lucas._ Same old sermon!

_Criddle._ No, sir. Not exactly the same sermon, though it had similar
points to last year. Ah! You came over for the old year's service last
year?

_Lucas._ Yes, and a rattling good sermon it was!

_Criddle._ Very powerful and persuading, wasn't it, sir? It even touched
me up a bit.

_Lucas._ In what way, Criddle?

_Criddle._ I used to have my ten bob on any horse as I fancied, but I
never put a farthing on anything--not even on Sulky Susan for the Oaks.

_Lucas._ You didn't?

_Criddle._ No, and thank God, in a manner of speaking, that I didn't,
for she never pulled it off. I owe that to Mr. Pilcher. No, I never
touched a thing till the Leger. That reminds me----

_Lucas._ What, Criddle?

_Criddle._ Why, last year, after Mr. Pilcher's sermon, the master had a
collecting box, and when he found himself going a bit off the straight
he used to put in a shilling or half-a-crown for Mr. Pilcher's blanket
fund----

_Lucas._ Yes, of course! And Uncle Matt promised him a sovereign for
each of us if we had carried out our good resolutions. Is that coming
off, Criddle?

_Criddle._ I expect it is, sir. Mr. Pilcher is coming here this
afternoon, and the master told me to be sure and find the box before he
gets here.

_Lucas._ Find the box?

_Criddle._ Nobody has seen anything of it for some months. Excuse me,
sir, I must look for it.

[_Exit_ CRIDDLE.

LUCAS _takes out letter from an unsealed envelope, glances through
it, sits at table, takes out pencil, adds a short note, puts letter
in envelope, seals it up, puts it in his tail poc