Maitland took it up and read aloud:
“Sent out at 7.45. Received 7.51.
“From Robert Maitland to Miss Marlett.
“The Dovecot, Conisbeare,
“Tiverton.
“I come to-morrow, leaving by 10.30 train.
Do not let Margaret see the newspaper.
Her father dead. Break news.”
“Why, that is my own telegram!” cried Maitland; “but what have you done with the other you said you received?”
“That is the very one I cannot find, though I had both on the escritoire in my own room this morning. I cannot believe anyone would touch it. I did not lock them away, not expecting to have any use for them; but I am quite sure, the last time I saw them, they were lying there.”
“This is very extraordinary,” said Maitland. “You tell me, Miss Marlett, that you received two telegrams from me. On the strength of the later of the two you let your pupil go away with a person of whom you know nothing, and then you have not even the telegram to show me. How long an interval was there between the receipt of the two despatches?”
“I got them both at once,” said poor, trembling Miss Marlett, who felt the weakness of her case. “They were both sent up with the letters this morning. Were they not, Miss Harman?”
“Yes,” said Janey; “I certainly saw two telegraphic envelopes lying among your letters at breakfast. I mentioned it to—to poor Margaret,” she added, with a break in her voice.
“But why were the telegrams not delivered last night?” Maitland asked.
“I have left orders,” Miss Marlett answered, “that only telegrams of instant importance are to be sent on at once. It costs twelve shillings, and parents and people are so tiresome, always telegraphing about nothing in particular, and costing a fortune. These telegrams were very important, of course; but nothing more could have been done about them if they had arrived last night, than if they came this morning. I have had a great deal of annoyance and expense,” the schoolmistress added, “with telegrams that had to be paid for.”
And here most people who live at a distance from telegraph offices, and are afflicted with careless friends whose touch on the wire is easy and light, will perhaps sympathize with Miss Marlett.