"The brute!" I said. "What on earth shall I do?"
"I suggest that you telephone to the Redfield Bank," he said, "and
countermand your brother's instructions--that is, unless you think
you've made a mistake? I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Nonsense!" I said. "I'm not going to let Andrew spoil my holiday.
That's always his way: if he gets an idea into his head he's like a
mule. I'll telephone to Redfield, and then we'll go to see the bank
here."
We put Parnassus up at the hotel, and I went to the telephone. I was
thoroughly angry at Andrew, and tried to get him on the wire first.
But Sabine Farm didn't answer. Then I telephoned to the bank in
Redfield, and got Mr. Shirley. He's the cashier, and I know him
well. I guess he recognized my voice, for he made no objection when
I told him what I wanted.
"Now you telephone to the bank in Woodbridge," I said, "and tell
them to let Mr. Mifflin have the money. I'll go there with him to
identify him. Will that be all right?"
"Perfectly," he said. The deceitful little snail! If I had only
known what he was concocting!
Mifflin said there was a train at three o'clock which he could take.
We stopped at a little lunch room for a bite to eat, then he went
again to the bank, and I with him. We asked the cashier whether they
had had a message from Redfield.
"Yes," he said. "We've just heard." And he looked at me rather
queerly.
"Are you Miss McGill?" he said.
"I am," I said.
"Will you just step this way a moment?" he asked politely.
He led me into a little sitting-room and asked me to sit down. I
supposed that he was going to get some paper for me to sign, so I
waited quite patiently for several minutes. I had left the Professor
at the cashier's window, where they would give him his money.
I waited some time, and finally I got tired of looking at the Life
Insurance calendars. Then I happened to glance out of the window.
Surely that was the Professor, just disappearing round the corner
with another man?