CHAPTER XVIII.
The next day, before Trenholme had had time to devise a plan for seeing Miss Rexford, Mrs.Martha brought him a telegram.

She watched him as he drew his finger through the poor paper of the envelope, watched him as one might watch another on the eve of some decisive event; yet she could not have expected much from a telegram--they came too often.
"Ha!" cried Trenholme, "we are going to have visitors, Mrs.Martha." A good deal to Trenholme's surprise, the message was from Alec, and from a point no further away than Quebec.

It stated that he was there with Bates, who was ill, and he thought the best thing would be to bring him with him to Chellaston, if his brother had house-room enough.
The answers we give to such appeals are more often the outcome of life-long habit than instances of separate volition.

No question of what answer to send occurred to Trenholme's mind as he pencilled his reply, assuring a welcome to the sick man.
When the answer was despatched he saw that, as fate had thrust the notice of this arrival between him and the proposed interview with Sophia; it would be better, after all, to wait only a day or two more, until he knew his brother's mind.
He heard nothing more from Alec that day.

The day after was Saturday, and it rained heavily.
"What time will the gentlemen arrive ?" asked Mrs.Martha, but not as if she took much interest in the matter.
"I can't tell," he replied.