Thebusinessofthetoiletwasfaradvanced。Duncanhadjustplacedtheglassinagoodlight；andDuncan’smasterwasatthatturningpointinhisdailylifewhichconsistedinattaining，ornotattaining，absoluteperfectioninthetyingofhiswhitecravat——whensomeouterbarbarian，ignorantofthefirstprinciplesofdressingagentleman’sthroat，presumedtoknockatthebedroomdoor。Neithermasternorservantmovedorbreatheduntiltheintegrityofthecravatwasplacedbeyondthereachofaccident。ThenSirPatrickcastthelookoffinalcriticismintheglass，andbreathedagainwhenhesawthatitwasdone。
　　“Alittlelaboredinstyle，Duncan。Butnotbad，consideringtheinterruption？“
　　“Bynomeans，SirPatrick。“
　　“Seewhoitis。“
　　Duncanwenttothedoor；andreturned，tohismaster，withanexcusefortheinterruption，intheshapeofatelegram!
　　SirPatrickstartedatthesightofthatunwelcomemessage。“Signthereceipt，Duncan，“hesaid——andopenedtheenvelope。Yes!
　　Exactlyashehadanticipated!NewsofMissSilvester，ontheverydaywhenhehaddecidedtoabandonallfurtherattemptatdiscoveringher。Thetelegramranthus：
　　“MessagereceivedfromFalkirkthismorning。Lady，asdescribed，leftthetrainatFalkirklastnight。Wenton，bythefirsttrainthismorning，toGlasgow。Waitfurtherinstructions。“
　　“Isthemessengertotakeanythingback，SirPatrick？“
　　“No。ImustconsiderwhatIamtodo。IfIfinditnecessaryI
　　willsendtothestation。HereisnewsofMissSilvester，Duncan，“continuedSirPatrick，whenthemessengerhadgone。“ShehasbeentracedtoGlasgow。“
　　“Glasgowisalargeplace，SirPatrick。“
　　“Yes。Eveniftheyhavetelegraphedonandhadherwatchedwhichdoesn’tappear，shemayescapeusagainatGlasgow。Iamthelastmanintheworld，Ihope，toshrinkfromacceptingmyfairshareofanyresponsibility。ButIownIwouldhavegivensomethingtohavekeptthistelegramoutofthehouse。ItraisesthemostawkwardquestionIhavehadtodecideonformanyalongdaypast。Helpmeonwithmycoat。Imustthinkofit!Imustthinkofit!“
　　SirPatrickwentdowntodinnerinnoagreeableframeofmind。
　　TheunexpectedrecoveryofthelosttraceofMissSilvester——thereisnodisguisingit——seriouslyannoyedhim。
　　Thedinner-partythatday，assemblingpunctuallyatthestrokeofthebell，hadtowaitaquarterofanhourbeforethehostesscamedownstairs。
　　LadyLundie’sapology，whensheenteredthelibrary，informedhergueststhatshehadbeendetainedbysomeneighborswhohadcalledatanunusuallylatehour。Mr。andMrs。JuliusDelamayn，findingthemselvesnearWindygates，hadfavoredherwithavisit，ontheirwayhome，andhadleftcardsofinvitationforagarden-partyattheirhouse。
　　LadyLundiewascharmedwithhernewacquaintances。TheyhadincludedeverybodywhowasstayingatWindygatesintheirinvitation。Theyhadbeenaspleasantandeasyasoldfriends。
　　Mrs。Delamaynhadbroughtthekindestmessagefromoneofherguests——Mrs。Glenarm——tosaythatsherememberedmeetingLadyLundieinLondon，inthetimeofthelateSirThomas，andwasanxioustoimprovetheacquaintance。Mr。JuliusDelamaynhadgivenamostamusingaccountofhisbrother。GeoffreyhadsenttoLondonforatrainer；andthewholehouseholdwasonthetip-toeofexpectationtowitnessthemagnificentspectacleofanathletepreparinghimselfforafoot-race。Theladies，withMrs。Glenarmattheirhead，werehardatwork，studyingtheprofoundandcomplicatedquestionofhumanrunning——themusclesemployedinit，thepreparationrequiredforit，theheroeseminentinit。
　　ThemenhadbeenalloccupiedthatmorninginassistingGeoffreytomeasureamile，forhisexercising-ground，inaremotepartofthepark——wheretherewasanemptycottage，whichwastobefittedwithallthenecessaryappliancesforthereceptionofGeoffreyandhistrainer。“Youwillseethelastofmybrother，“
　　Juliushadsaid，“atthegarden-party。Afterthatheretiresintoathleticprivacy，andhasbutoneinterestinlife——theinterestofwatchingthedisappearanceofhisownsuperfluousflesh。“
　　ThroughoutthedinnerLadyLundiewasinoppressivelygoodspirits，singingthepraisesofhernewfriends。SirPatrick，ontheotherhand，hadneverbeensosilentwithinthememoryofmortalman。Hetalkedwithaneffort；andhelistenedwithagreatereffortstill。Toanswerornottoanswerthetelegraminhispocket？TopersistornottopersistinhisresolutiontoleaveMissSilvestertogoherownway？Thosewerethequestionswhichinsistedoncomingroundtohimasregularlyasthedishesthemselvescameroundintheorderlyprogressionofthedinner。
　　Blanche——whohadnotfeltequaltotakingherplaceatthetable——appearedinthedrawing-roomafterward。
　　SirPatrickcameintotea，withthegentlemen，stilluncertainastotherightcoursetotakeinthematterofthetelegram。OnelookatBlanche’ssadfaceandBlanche’salteredmannerdecidedhim。WhatwouldbetheresultifherousednewhopesbyresumingtheefforttotraceMissSilvester，andifhelostthetraceasecondtime？Hehadonlytolookathisnieceandtosee。Couldanyconsiderationjustifyhiminturninghermindbackonthememoryofthefriendwhohadleftheratthemomentwhenitwasjustbeginningtolookforwardforrelieftotheprospectofhermarriage？Nothingcouldjustifyhim；andnothingshouldinducehimtodoit。
　　Reasoning——soundlyenough，fromhisownpointofview——onthatbasis，SirPatrickdeterminedonsendingnofurtherinstructionstohisfriendatEdinburgh。ThatnighthewarnedDuncantopreservethestrictestsilenceastothearrivalofthetelegram。
　　Heburnedit，incaseofaccidents，withhisownhand，inhisownroom。
　　Risingthenextdayandlookingoutofhiswindow，SirPatricksawthetwoyoungpeopletakingtheirmorningwalkatamomentwhentheyhappenedtocrosstheopengrassyspacewhichseparatedthetwoshrubberiesatWindygates。Arnold’sarmwasroundBlanche’swaist，andtheyweretalkingconfidentiallywiththeirheadsclosetogether。“Sheiscomingroundalready!“thoughttheoldgentleman，asthetwodisappearedagaininthesecondshrubberyfromview。“ThankHeaven!thingsarerunningsmoothlyatlast!“
　　AmongtheornamentsofSirPatrick’sbedroomtherewasaviewtakenfromaboveofoneoftheHighlandwaterfalls。Ifhehadlookedatthepicturewhenheturnedawayfromhiswindow，hemighthaveremarkedthatariverwhichisrunningwithitsutmostsmoothnessatonemomentmaybeariverwhichplungesintoitsmostviolentagitationatanother；andhemighthaveremembered，withcertainmisgivings，thattheprogressofastreamofwaterhasbeenlongsincelikened，withtheuniversalconsentofhumanity，totheprogressofthestreamoflife。
　　ONthedaywhenSirPatrickreceivedthesecondofthetwotelegramssenttohimfromEdinburgh，fourrespectableinhabitantsoftheCityofGlasgowwerestartledbytheappearanceofanobjectofinterestonthemonotonoushorizonoftheirdailylives。
　　Thepersonsreceivingthiswholesomeshockwere——Mr。andMrs。
　　KarnegieoftheSheep’sHeadHotel-andMr。Camp，andMr。Crum，attachedas“Writers“tothehonorableprofessionoftheLaw。
　　Itwasstillearlyinthedaywhenaladyarrived，inacabfromtherailway，attheSheep’sHeadHotel。Herluggageconsistedofablackbox，andofawell-wornleatherbagwhichshecarriedinherhand。Thenameontheboxrecentlywrittenonanewluggagelabel，asthecoloroftheinkandpapershowedwasaverygoodnameinitsway，commontoaverygreatnumberofladies，bothinScotlandandEngland。Itwas“Mrs。Graham。“
　　Encounteringthelandlordattheentrancetothehotel，“Mrs。
　　Graham“askedtobeaccommodatedwithabedroom，andwastransferredinduecoursetothechamber-maidondutyatthetime。Returningtothelittleroombehindthebar，inwhichtheaccountswerekept，Mr。Karnegiesurprisedhiswifebymovingmorebriskly，andlookingmuchbrighterthanusual。Beingquestioned，Mr。Karnegiewhohadcasttheeyeofalandlordontheblackboxinthepassageannouncedthatone“Mrs。Graham“
　　hadjustarrived，andwasthenandtheretobebookedasinhabitingRoomNumberSeventeen。Beinginformedwithconsiderableasperityoftoneandmannerthatthisanswerfailedtoaccountfortheinterestwhichappearedtohavebeeninspiredinhimbyatotalstranger，Mr。Karnegiecametothepoint，andconfessedthat“Mrs。Graham“wasoneofthesweetest-lookingwomenhehadseenformanyalongday，andthathefearedshewasveryseriouslyoutofhealth。
　　UponthatreplytheeyesofMrs。Karnegiedevelopedinsize，andthecolorofMrs。Karnegiedeepenedintint。Shegotupfromherchairandsaidthatitmightbejustaswellifshepersonallysuperintendedtheinstallationof“Mrs。Graham“inherroom，andpersonallysatisfiedherselfthat“Mrs。Graham“wasafitinmatetobereceivedattheSheep’sHeadHotel。Mr。Karnegiethereupondidwhathealwaysdid——heagreedwithhiswife。
　　Mrs。Karnegiewasabsentforsomelittletime。OnherreturnhereyeshadacertaintigerishcastinthemwhentheyrestedonMr。
　　Karnegie。SheorderedteaandsomelightrefreshmenttobetakentoNumberSeventeen。Thisdone——withoutanyvisibleprovocationtoaccountfortheremark——sheturneduponherhusband，andsaid，“Mr。Karnegieyouareafool。“Mr。Karnegieasked，“Why，mydear？“Mrs。Karnegiesnappedherfingers，andsaid，“_That_forhergoodlooks!Youdon’tknowagood-lookingwomanwhenyouseeher。“Mr。Karnegieagreedwithhiswife。
　　Nothingmorewassaiduntilthewaiterappearedatthebarwithhistray。Mrs。Karnegie，havingfirstwaivedthetrayoff，withoutinstitutinghercustomaryinvestigation，satdownsuddenlywithathump，andsaidtoherhusbandwhohadnotutteredawordintheinterval，“Don’ttalktoMeaboutherbeingoutofhealth!_That_forherhealth!It’stroubleonhermind。“Mr。Karnegiesaid，“Isitnow？“Mrs。Karnegiereplied，“WhenIhavesaid，Itis，Iconsidermyselfinsultedifanotherpersonsays，Isit？“Mr。Karnegieagreedwithhiswife。
　　There。wasanotherinterval。Mrs。Karnegieaddedupabill，withafaceofdisgust。Mr。Karnegielookedatherwithafaceofwonder。Mrs。Karnegiesuddenlyaskedhimwhyhewastedhislookson_her，_whenhewouldhave“Mrs。Graham“tolookatbeforelong。Mr。Karnegie，uponthat，attemptedtocompromisethematterbylooking，intheinterim，athisownboots。Mrs。Karnegiewishedtoknowwhetheraftertwentyyearsofmarriedlife，shewasconsideredtobenotworthansweringbyherownhusband。