"The Adventists believe that the earth will not be ruined, but glorified by the Second Advent." "Children should not hear of such abstruse, far-off things," observed Mrs.Rexford; "it does harm; but with no nursery, no schoolroom, what can one do ?" Trenholme told them of Alec's telegram, and something of what he knew concerning Bates.

His own knowledge was scanty, but he had not even said all he might have said when Mrs.Rexford politely regretted that her husband and son, taking advantage of the rain, had both gone to the next town to see some machinery they were buying, and would be away over Sunday, otherwise they would not have missed the opportunity offered by Sunday's leisure to call upon the newcomers.
"Oh, he's quite a common working-man, I fancy," added Trenholme, hastily, surprised at the gloss his words had thrown on Bates's position, and dimly realising that his way of putting things might perhaps at some other times be as misleading as it had just that moment been.
Then he went away rather abruptly, feeling burdened with the further apologies she made with respect to Alec..