There was great excitement for the rest of the day in the Kearsarge House, and when the evening coach brought Ella from the railroad station, she was surprised at the coldness with which everybody greeted her; but she was a rich heiress, and scandal handled her with gloves. She explained to one or two, whose lead others would be likely to follow, that her meeting with Dr. Delano in Dover was the purest accident. “Why!” she exclaimed, “what else _could_ it have been?” and this passed current, for Colonel Murdock had said nothing, except to Clara, of his knowledge of Ella’s pretence that she was going to Wolfboro’. Still, there were some who knew the secret of the letter, and these avoided all further recognition of her, except a few fawners who pretended that that part of the scandal was a pure fabrication. The next day Albert returned, having waited over only for appearance’ sake, for he might just as well have come with Ella. He went immediately up to his rooms, and seeing no one, concluded his wife must be out riding or walking; still it was strange, for he had written, informing her of his intended return, and naturally she would have met him at the veranda. Very soon he went to the office and asked the clerk where Mrs. Delano was, but the answer being very indefinite, Colonel Murdock, who had just bought a cigar, volunteered the following: “Your wife, Dr. Delano? You have killed her, I think; but you’ll find your sweetheart in the bowling-alley.” Like lightning it flashed upon the doctor that Murdock had blabbed the Dover affair. This explained the exceedingly cool air with which one or two had returned his greeting on alighting from the coach. “Insolent coxcomb!” growled Dr. Delano, ready to fly at the colonel’s throat; but at the critical moment the clerk thrust a letter into his face, and as he took it, the other left the office. The thought flashed upon the doctor, at the sight of the superscription, that his wife had left the hotel. He returned to his rooms, and shutting himself in, opened Clara’s letter. At the sight of the enclosed one which he had written to Ella, he bit his lip and turned pale. Clara had written him the following: “I enclose you a letter which was found, I suppose, by some one here. I received it through the post-office yesterday. I enclose, also, the hotel bill, which I have paid in full. As to the letter I do not blame you, since it is the expression of a passion that controls you, and I have not lost my faith in manhood because you have proved unworthy. I believe there are men too honorable to call two women ‘_dearest_’ in the same breath. If I did not, I should not be my father’s daughter.