How could Grail expect him to be in town, after reading that letter from Jersey?
If indeed the visitor were Gilbert, some catastrophe had befallen.

But he would not entertain such a fear.

Then the second caller; that might be any acquaintance.

Still, it was strange that he too had refused his name.
You know the state of mind in which, whatever one thinks of, a pain, a fear, draws the thought another way.

It was so with Egremont.