He got up from his Morris chair, in his room where he had been vainly trying to study, when he came at last to this moment of decision, picked up his cap and went with firm ringing step down the corridor to the professor's house.
A scant five minutes before Susan in the kitchen had been startled by the ringing of the telephone. She climbed up on the stool, placed there for her short, spare self, and put the receiver to her ear.
"Susan?" came over the wire, interrogatively.
"Ain't seen him but a minute, he went out to Marse Edward Montague's."
Frances, far off in the rear of a store on the mountain-side, made a little exclamation that carried to Susan as she stood with pendant lip and wrinkled forehead, the receiver at her ear.
"What did he do that for?" Susan could catch the impatient note.
"Dunno! Marse Edward come to dinnah an' he 'low as how he's gwine back wid him."
"All right! Susan," with sudden brisk energy, "my small trunk is packed, I want you to send it to me."
"Fo' de Lawd," groaned Susan, but her lips were away from the tube.
"I need the dresses; I thought I might, and put them in there, so that if I did--and Susan, wrap my riding-habit up, fold it carefully, and slip the bundle under the trunk-straps."
"Miss Frances, you ain't gwine ride none o' Marse Tom's horses?" Tom had a stock-farm, some beauties, some beasts, all of them fiery.
"There's the prettiest colt here, just broken!"
"Don't you dare; send my things. You hear?"
"And Susan," after a little wait, "has anybody been to see me?"
"Don't you tell anybody where I am, _anybody_, you hear. Good-by!" suddenly.
Susan hung up the receiver. As she stepped off the stool the door-bell rang. She went to answer it nimbly, though she was bent with rheumatism. A young man stood on the single broad step above the pavement of the corridor.
He doffed his cap, but Susan stood stiffly in the middle of the doorway. "Marse Robert is not at home," she said coldly.
The young man flushed, looked half embarrassed and started to pass her. "I would like to see Miss Frances!"
Susan dodged before him. "She's not at home."
"When will she be back?" asked the young man, angered at the old darkey's manner.
"Tell her that I will call and see her a few moments this evening." He unbuttoned his coat and fumbled for his card-case.