six o'clock
`` If I 'd gone myself , I could ha ' found out by asking the members o ' the Society . But perhaps if I put Sarah Williamson , Methodist preacher , Leeds , o ' th ' outside , it might get to her ; for most like she 'd be wi ' Sarah Williamson . '' Alick came now with the message , and Seth , finding that Mrs. Poyser was writing to Dinah , gave up the intention of writing himself ; but he went to the Hall Farm to tell them all he could suggest about the address of the letter , and warn them that there might be some delay in the delivery , from his not knowing an exact direction . On leaving Lisbeth , Mr. Irwine had gone to Jonathan Burge , who had also a claim to be acquainted with what was likely to keep Adam away from business for some time ; and before six o'clock that evening there were few people in Broxton and Hayslope who had not heard the sad news . Mr. Irwine had not mentioned Arthur 's name to Burge , and yet the story of his conduct towards Hetty , with all the dark shadows cast upon it by its terrible consequences , was presently as well known as that his grandfather was dead , and that he was come into the estate . For Martin Poyser felt no motive to keep silence towards the one or two neighbours who ventured to come and shake him sorrowfully by the hand on the first day of his trouble ; and Carroll , who kept his ears open to all that passed at the rectory , had framed an inferential version of the story , and found early opportunities of communicating it . One of those neighbours who came to Martin Poyser and shook him by the hand without speaking for some minutes was Bartle Massey .