a quarter before twelve
The gates were old , and were opened and closed at ordinary times by an ordinary ancient lock . But now there was a chain passed in and out with a padlock , -- evidently placed there to prevent him from entering in opposition to the gardener 's instructions . There was clearly no course open to him but to drive the carriage back to his master . At a quarter before twelve Hester left her own room , -- which looked backwards into the garden , as did all the pleasanter rooms of the house , -- with the intention of seating herself in a spare room looking out to the front , from which she could have seen the carriage as it entered the gate . Had she so seen it she would certainly have called to the man from the window when he was standing in the road . But the door of that front room was locked against her ; and when she tried the other she found that all the front rooms were locked . She knew the house , of course , as well as did her mother , and she rushed up to the attics where the servants occupied the rooms looking out to the road .