“I’ll promise yer, Mr. Cramer. I’ll promise he sha’n’t. He sha’n’t come if I can prevent it. Poor Esther—there, little girl! He sha’n’t come here again if I can help it.�
For a wonder, Mrs. McCleary said nothing, but with her face concealed in her handkerchief, rocked back and forth in her chair to the accompaniment of her sobbing; and feeling that Esther was finding comfort in the paternal arms, with the old man’s promise, Mark took his leave.
“Nor if I can prevent it, shall he come here again!� he muttered as he walked away. “And I think I can—I think I can.�
CHAPTER XXV
TIBBY CONQUERS
Upon the second afternoon of Mark’s absence from home Alice was surprised by the dreaded appearance of Professor Russell. The man had changed his outward guise considerably. His auburn whiskers had given place to a smooth-shaven chin. A red mustache, grizzled with white, decked his upper lip, and his hair was closely cut. Even his eyebrows seemed to have shared in the general cut, and the man looked sleeker and, if possible, more like Uriah Heep than before. Alice did not at first recognize him as he came toward the house, but a glance from those gray-green eyes identified him.
She shrank back with a perceptible shudder of abhorrence.
“You here, Professor? I supposed you had departed to lands afar!� she exclaimed.
“You did not then receive notice of my coming?� he asked, with a meaning look.
“Notice? No—why—how could I?�
“I have numerous unseen messengers.�