"Oh, very much. He puts almost insuperable barriers between Tom and Ida. He sometimes chases Tom out of his house by pretending to have a fit of canine rabies."
"This opposition on the part of the old Cerberus will be the means of soon liberating Tom from Doubting Castle."
"How so?"
"As I said on a former occasion, women are like pigs: if you try to head them off they will give a squeal and bolt by you, and travel the very road you didn't want them to go. Old Crabstick will soon find this out. Tom Seddon will not long remain in Doubting Castle."
"Yonder he comes now," said Toney.
"He is out of the Castle,—I know it," said the Professor.
"What makes you think so?"
"Look at how he walks. His head is up. His step is as light as if his feet were feathers. Yesterday he held his head down, as if he were calculating the distance to the antipodes, and walked as if he had a large quantity of lead in the bottom of his boots. I'll bet that he don't call me Miss Ida after to-day."
Tom Seddon approached them with his face radiant with smiles. He took Toney by the hand and shook it energetically. He then seized the Professor by both hands and gave him a violent shaking.
"It is a beautiful day," said Tom.