CHAPTER XII.
When Sophia went to the hotel next morning, Eliza was not to be found.
She was not in, and no one knew where she was.

Mr.Hutchins was inclined to grumble at her absence as an act of high-handed liberty, but Miss Rexford was not interested in his comments.

She went back to her work at home, and felt in dread of the visit which she had arranged for Alec Trenholme to make that day.

She began to be afraid that, having no information of importance with which to absorb his attention, he might to some extent make a fool of himself.

Having seen incipient signs of this state of things, she took for granted it would grow.
When the expected caller did come, Sophia, because the servant could still do but little, was at work in the dairy, and she sent one of the children to ask him to come into the yard.