The letter ran as follows: 

     "My Dearest Mary,

     “You will be astonished to find the house empty and all your
     racketty guests gone.  Let me explain, and if you are angry about
     what has happened you must lay all the blame on me.

“Well, you see, my dear, it was arranged nearly a month ago that before we left your delightful house we should make a little cruise round your charming island.  But we had not expected that this would come off so soon, when suddenly and unexpectedly that silly Mr. Eastcliff, who has no more brains than a spring chicken, remembered that he had promised to visit a friend who has taken a shoot in Skye.  Result—­we had to make the cruise immediately or not at all, and yet behold! our hostess was away on an urgent call of sickness, and what in the world were we to do without her?

“Everybody was in a quandary—­that wise Mr. Vivian saying it would be ‘jolly bad form by Jove’ to go without you, while Mr. Eastcliffs ‘deelightfully vicked’ little Camilla declared it would be ‘vilaynous,’ and your husband vowed that his Margaret Mary could not possibly be left behind.

“It was then that a certain friend of yours took the liberty of remembering that you did not like the sea, and that even if you had been here and had consented to go with us it would have been only out of the sweetness of your heart, which I’ve always known to be the tenderest and most unselfish in the world.

“This seemed to satisfy the whole house and everybody was at ease, when lo! down on us like a thunderbolt came the telegram from Mr. Conrad.  Thinking it might require to be repeated, I took the liberty of opening it, and then we were in a plight, I assure you.

“What on earth was he to think of our leaving the house when he was on the point of arriving?  And, above all, how were we to support the disappointment of missing him—­some of us, the women especially, and myself in particular, being just crazy to see him again?

“This nearly broke down our plans altogether, but once more I came to the rescue by remembering that Mr. Conrad was not coming to see us but you, and that the very kindest thing we could do for a serious person of his kind would be to take our racketty presence out of the way.

“That contented everybody except my mother, who—­would you believe it?—­had gotten some prudish notions into her head about the impropriety of leaving you alone, and declared her intention of staying behind to keep you in countenance!  We soon laughed her out of that, though, and now, to relieve you of her company, we are carrying her away with us—­which will be lots of fun, for she’s as fond of water as a cat and will fancy she is seasick all the time.

“Good-bye, dearest!  We’re just off.  I envy you.  You happy, happy girl!