A small favour, unreturned? He settles into his chair a little more, cocking his head slowly.

"If this person has vanished," he answers finally, "then there is little to be done..."

Yet it makes him think of Coward all of a sudden, and that makes his frown deeper in irritation.

"Were this person to return, of course, I would not trust them. I could not! Not after such an action."

Perhaps, there, his feelings colour the words -- but Cowards sudden disappearance is a betrayal to Norrell, one he cannot let go of.