The Beadle cursed silently. This would cause a very unfortunate delay in his plans for Ned Farrier. Accepting the indenture certificate, he growled, “I’ll ’ave ter get ’im next week then. ’E’s gorn ter Sarf End. Mister Lane needs t’ boy now. Can’t it lay, an’ I’ll get it sorted fust thing.”
“It would be completely irregular, Beadle—against the law, if you must know. I could not do it. Were there to be an accident and the boy injured, it would be us who would bear the responsibility.”
Smiling, the little clerk removed his spectacles and polished them. “Master Shipwright Lane will not, I’m sure, be too inconvenienced by the absence of an untrained and unskilled apprentice for another few days.”
Replacing his spectacles, he withdrew a key from his pocket. “Now, I believe you needed the reg
