Todd, with one of the dogs at his heels, opened the door for him, smothering a “Gor-a-Mighty!—­sumpin’s up fo’ sho’!” when his hand turned the knob.  He had heard the clatter of two horses and their sudden pull-up outside, and looking out, had read the situation at a glance.  Old Matthew was holding the reins of both mounts at the moment, for the colonel always rode in state.  No tying to hitching-posts or tree-boxes, or picking up of a loose negro to watch his restless steed when he had a stable full of thoroughbreds and quarters packed with grooms.

“Yes, Marse Colonel—­yes, sah—­Marse George is inside—­yes, sah—­but Marse Harry’s out.”  He had not asked for Harry, but Todd wanted him to get all the facts in case there was to be another such scene as black John described had taken place at the club on the occasion of the colonel’s last visit to the Chesapeake.

“Then I’ll go in unannounced, and you need not wait, Todd.”

St. George was in his arm-chair by the mantel looking over one of his heavy ducking-guns when the Lord of Moorlands entered.  He was the last man in the world he expected to see, but he did not lose his self-control or show in any way his surprise.  He was host, and Rutter was his guest; nothing else counted now.

St. George rose to his feet, laid the gun carefully on the table, and with a cold smile on his face—­one of extreme courtesy—­advanced to greet him.

“Ah, Talbot—­it has been some time since I had this pleasure.  Let me draw up a chair for you—­I’ll ring for Todd and—­”

“No, St. George.  I prefer to talk to you alone.”

“Todd is never an interruption.”

“He may be to-day.  I have something to say to you—­and I don’t want either to be interrupted or misunderstood.  You and I have known each other too many years to keep up this quarrel; I am getting rather sick of it myself.”

St. George shrugged his shoulders, placed the gun carefully in the rack by the door, and maintained an attentive attitude.  He would either fight or make peace, but he must first learn the conditions.  In the meantime he would hold his peace.

Rutter strode past him to the fireplace, opened his riding-jacket, laid his whip on the mantel, and with his hands deep in his breeches pockets faced the room and his host, who had again taken his place by the table.

“The fact is, St. George, I have been greatly disturbed of late by reports which have reached me about my son.  He is with you, I presume?”

St. George nodded.

Rutter waited for a verbal reply, and receiving none, forged on:  “Very greatly disturbed; so much so that I have made an especial trip from Moorlands to call upon you and ascertain their truth.”

Again St. George nodded, the smile—­one of extreme civility now—­still on his face.  Then he added, flicking some stray grains of tobacco from his sleeve with his fingers:  “That was very good of you, Talbot—­but go on—­I’m listening.”