ten o'clock
The thought of Kate burned in his brain , and after having inquired the way , with weary and aching feet he once more trudged manfully on . A fretful suspicion now haunted him that she might not find the landlady as agreeable as would under the circumstances be desirable , and he reasoned with himself as he crossed into the open country , until anxiety became absorbed by fatigue . Of every passer-by did he ask the way , and as he passed the stately villas Dick felt that had there been much farther to walk he would have had to beg a lift from one of the waggoners who passed him constantly driving their heavy teams . But he was now in Manchester , and wondering if he had taken longer to walk than he had expected , he looked into the shop windows in search of a clock , and when he rang at the door of the lodging-house his heart beat as rapidly as the jangling bell that pealed through the house The maid who answered the door told him that she knew of no such person and was about to shut the door in his face , but Dick 's good-natured smile compelled her into parley , and she admitted that , having been out on an errand , she had not seen the missus since ten o'clock . A lady might have called , but she was n't in the house now ; they were as full as they could hold . ` And are you certain that a lady might have called about ten or half-past without your having seen her ? ' ` I was out on a herrant at that time , so I 'm sure she might , for missus would n't mind to tell me if I was n't to get rooms ready for her . '