noon
Daily bulletins came from the other house as to Allison 's condition , and Madame was in constant communication by telegraph with Colonel Kent . She kept him reassured as much as possible , and did not tell him of Allison 's ineradicable delusion that his father was dead . Allison 's note was given to Isabel at luncheon the day after it was written , having been delayed in delivery the night before until after she was asleep . With it was a letter from her mother , which had come in the noon mail . She opened Allison 's note first , read it , and put it back into the envelope . Her mother 's letter was almost equally brief . That , too , she returned to its envelope without comment .