Ah, but he lingers, beseeches her, his gaze doe-eyed, young, and imploring.

"Mistress, if nothing else I hope I have proven to you the heights of my discretion. Who is the man?" he presses, keeping her close, their conversation intimate.

"I have nowhere else to turn for answers. You have been good to me, and I hope I have done you justice in return." He pauses, then adds— "...I should like to hear the outcome you hope for as well. If I leave you, when I leave you, I would like it to be in glory."