To call upon this ward of his is a thing that must be done sooner or later, then why not sooner?
Why not at once?
The more unpleasant the duty, the more necessity to get it off one's mind without delay.
He pulls the bell.

The landlady appears again.
"I must go out," says the professor, staring a little helplessly at her.
"An' a good thing too," says she.

"A saint's day ye might call it, wid the sun.

An' where to, sir, dear?
Not to thim rascally sthudents, I do thrust ?" "No, Mrs.Mulcahy.

I--I am going to see a young lady," says the professor simply.
"The divil!" says Mrs.Mulcahy with a beaming smile.