eleven o'clock
One day Mr. Richard Bassett , from motives of pure affection no doubt , not curiosity , desired mightily to inspect Mr. Bassett , aged eight months and two days . So , in his usual wily way , he wrote to Mrs. Gosport , asking her , for old acquaintance ' sake , to meet him in the meadow at the end of the lawn . This meadow belonged to Sir Charles , but Richard Bassett had a right of way through it , and could step into it by a postern , as Mary could by an iron gate . He asked her to come at eleven o'clock , because at that hour he observed she walked on the lawn with her charge . Mary Gosport came to the tryst , but without Mr. Bassett . Richard was very polite ; she cold , taciturn , observant . At last he said , `` But where 's the little heir ? ''