About noon
And in his heart , he knew that it would require but a tiny spark to turn his hatred for Canler into the blood lust of the killer . Early the next morning Canler set out for town . In the east smoke could be seen lying low over the forest , for a fire had been raging for a week not far from them , but the wind still lay in the west and no danger threatened them . About noon Jane started off for a walk . She would not let Clayton accompany her . She wanted to be alone , she said , and he respected her wishes . In the house Professor Porter and Mr. Philander were immersed in an absorbing discussion of some weighty scientific problem .