Tristram passed the afternoon outdoors, inspecting the stables, and among his own favorite haunts, and then rushed in, too late for tea and only just in time to catch the post.

He wrote a letter to Ethelrida, and his uncle-in-law that was to be.

How ridiculous that sounded! He would be his uncle and Zara's cousin now, by marriage! Then, when he thought of this dear Ethelrida whom he had loved more than his own young sisters, he hurriedly wrote out, as well, a telegram of affection and congratulation which he handed to Michelham as he came in to get the letters--and the old man left the room.

Then Tristram remembered that he had addressed the telegram to Montfitchet, and Ethelrida would, of course, he now recollected, be at Glastonbury House, as she was coming up that day--so he went to the door and called out: "Michelham, bring me back the telegram." And the grave servant, who was collecting all the other letters from the post-box in the hall, returned and placed beside his master on the table a blue envelope.

There were always big blue envelopes, for the sending of telegrams, on all the writing tables at Wrayth.
Tristram hurriedly wrote out another and handed it, and the servant finally left the room.