Stella Fregelius: A Tale of Three Destinies Page 13

  It was half-past seven in the evening, that is, dinner time, and Morrisstood in the study waiting for Stella, who had announced through thehousemaid that she was coming down.

  After telling the servants to send for the doctor and attend to hiscompanion, who had insisted upon being led straight to her father'sroom, Morris's first act that morning on reaching home was to take abath as hot as he could bear. Then he drank several cups of coffee withbrandy in it, and as the office would soon be open, wrote a telegram toMary, which ran thus:

  "If you hear that I have been drowned, don't believe it. Have arrivedsafe home after a night at sea."

  This done, for he guessed that all sorts of rumours would be abroad, heinquired after Mr. Fregelius and Stella. Having learned that they wereboth going on well and sent off his telegram, Morris went to bed andslept for ten hours.