“Marster have breakfast in his room, and a goin’ to New Orleans? In the Lord’s name what’s happened him?” exclaimed Dinah, and when Marian came down to her solitary meal, she repeated the story to her, asking if she could explain it.
“Marster’s looked desput down in the mouth a long time back,” she said. “What you ’spect ’tis?”
Marian could not tell; neither did she venture a suggestion, so fearful was she that Frederic’s intended departure would interfere with the plan of which Alice had talked incessantly since daylight. Hastily finishing her breakfast, she hurried back to her chamber, whither the note had preceded her.
“Luce brought this to you from Frederic,” said Alice, passing her the letter, “and she says he looks like he was crazy. Read it and see what he wants.”
Marian accordingly tore open the envelope, and with blanched cheek and quivering lip read that she must go again from Redstone Hall, and worse than all, there was no tangible reason assigned for the cruel mandate. The check next caught her eye, and with a proud, haughty look upon her face, she tore it in fragments and scattered them upon the floor, for it seemed an idle mockery for him to offer what was already hers.
“What is it, Marian?” asked Alice, and recovering her composure Marian read to her what Frederic said while Alice’s face grew white as hers had done before.
“You go away!” she exclaimed, bounding upon the floor and feeling for the warm shawl which she wore when sitting up. “You won’t do any such thing. You’ve as much right here as he has, and I’m going this minute to tell him so.”
She had groped her way to the door and was just opening it when Marian held her back, saying:
“You must not go out undressed and barefooted as you are. The halls are cold. Wait here while I go and learn the reason of this sudden freak.”
“But I want so much to tell him myself,” said Alice, and Marian replied, “So you shall, I’ll send Dinah up to dress you and then I will come for you when it’s time.”