Not even the attraction of Blanche proved strong enough to detain him that night.

He went his way to bed.
It was past one o'clock.

The final rubber was at an end, the accounts were settled at the card-table; the surgeon had strolled into the billiard-room, and Smith and Jones had followed him, when Duncan came in, at last, with the telegram in his hand.
Blanche turned from the broad, calm autumn moonlight which had drawn her to the window, and looked over her uncle's shoulder while he opened the telegram.
She read the first line--and that was enough.

The whole scaffolding of hope built round that morsel of paper fell to the ground in an instant.
The train from Kirkandrew had reached Edinburgh at the usual time.

Every passenger in it had passed under the eyes of the police, and nothing had been seen of any person who answered the description given of Anne! Sir Patrick pointed to the two last sentences in the telegram: "Inquiries telegraphed to Falkirk.