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In the novel The Crystal Man, in Chapter I, there is this sentence:

He was not entirely at peace with society: there was something in his life or in his present errand which he desired to conceal.

Please can anyone explain what "present errand" means? And how can I rewrite this sentence using other words, but with the same meaning?

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Why a downvote on my question? I'm new and I would like to understand the reason. Many thanks. – stexcec Aug 9 '12 at 13:57

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Present errand here simply means current task.

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Here 'errand' is an obsolete form of 'arrant': itinerant; vagrant; errant: as, a knight arrant; an arrant preacher: especially in thief arrant or arrant thief, a roving, outlawed robber; a highwayman. Now written errant.

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This is incorrect. tchrist has the right meaning in his answer: "errand" means "job, trip, task, mission". – Mark Beadles Aug 9 '12 at 13:47
@jwpat7 Someone has just deleted your comment, however the 'Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia' reads: 'errand', an obsolete variant of 'arrant', which is the only possible meaning in that poethic context! – Xavier Vidal Hernández Aug 9 '12 at 14:10
That's the second definition of errand in that dictionary. The first is "n. A special business intrusted to a messenger; a verbal charge or message; a mandate or order; something to be told or done: as, the servant was sent on an errand; he told his errand; he has done the errand." – Mark Beadles Aug 9 '12 at 14:32

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