nine o'clock
Whereupon Austin left the room without another word . Then he stumped his way upstairs and was not seen again . Aunt Charlotte , meanwhile , began preparations for her journey . It was now close on nine o'clock , and she had to order the dinner , see that she had sufficient money for her expenses , choose a bonnet for travelling in , and look after half-a-dozen other important trifles before setting out to catch the railway omnibus at the Peacock . At last Austin , waiting behind a door , heard her enter her room to dress . Very gently he stole out with something in his pocket , and two minutes afterwards was standing on the lawn with his straw hat tilted over his eyes , chattering with Lubin about tubers , corms , and bulbs , potting and bedding-out , and other pleasant mysteries of garden-craft . It was not very long , however , before a singular bustle was heard on the first floor .