After a moment's hesitation, he opened the gate, passed up the neat little path and rang the bell.

It was opened after the briefest of delays by the trim parlor-maid.
"Is your mistress at home ?" he asked.
"Miss Edith has gone to London for two days, sir," the girl announced.
"The professor is in his study, sir." Burton stood quite still for a moment.

It was absurd that his heart should be so suddenly heavy, that all the spring and buoyancy should have gone out of life! For the first time he realized the direction in which his thoughts had been travelling since he had left his rooms an hour ago.

He had to remind himself that it was the professor whom he had come to see.
Mr.Cowper received him graciously, if a little vaguely.

Burton wasted no time, however, in announcing the nature of his errand.