"Oh, if you like," he cried, "he can start for Interlaken as soon as he comes back!" But she did not even notice his wrath.

"Will he come back early ?" she went on.
"We may suppose so." "He will know how anxious we are, and he will start with the first light!" Rowland was on the point of declaring that Roderick's readiness to throw himself into the feelings of others made this extremely probable; but he checked himself and said, simply, "I expect him at sunrise." Miss Garland bent her eyes once more upon the irresponsive darkness, and then, in silence, went into the house.

Rowland, it must be averred, in spite of his resolution not to be nervous, found no sleep that night.
When the early dawn began to tremble in the east, he came forth again into the open air.

The storm had completely purged the atmosphere, and the day gave promise of cloudless splendor.

Rowland watched the early sun-shafts slowly reaching higher, and remembered that if Roderick did not come back to breakfast, there were two things to be taken into account.