After the messenger had brought him the letter and he had read it, Tolly had waited a slight amount of time before paying the boy and sending him off. He then walked the short distance between where he had been waiting and the house. He pulled the cord for the bell, adjusting his posture. He knew how those used to domestic work carried themselves, and he could carry himself in a very similar way.
He waited, mentally taking stock of everything the letters had said. He'd committed the dates and names to memory, so he could reference them if he was asked to and not completely ruin his act. He was not particularly fond of the idea of earning an "honest wage," but he was practical. There would be opportunity enough for him to help himself, so long as he knew what to take and what not to take from who.