What it would immediately
do was present to nobody so clearly, however, as to Mr
Henry Cruickshank, who decided that he would, after all,
accept Dr Drummond's invitation to spend the night with
him, and find out the little he didn't know already about
this young man.
That evening the Murchisons' doorbell rang twice. The
first time it was to admit the Rev. Hugh Finlay, who had
come to return Sordello, which he had borrowed from
Advena, and to find out whether she thought with him
about the interpretation of certain passages, and if
not--there was always the possibility--wherein their
divergence lay. The second time the door opened to Dr
Drummond and Mr Cruickshank; and the electric light had
to be turned on in the drawing-room, since the library
was already occupied by Mr Finlay and Advena, Mr and Mrs
Murchison never having got over their early habit of
sitting in the dining-room after tea. Even then Mrs
Murchison had to put away her workbasket, and John
Murchison to knock the ashes out of his pipe, looking at
one another with surprised inquiry when Eliza informed
them of their visitors. Luckily, Mr Lorne was also in,
and Eliza was sent to tell him, and Mr Lorne came down
the stairs two at a time to join the party in the
drawing-room, which was presently supplied by Eliza with
a dignified service of cake and wine.
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