nine o'clock
She would have given the world to see him just for a moment , to look in his eyes and be sure again , to have him say that little word once more : there was a kind of pain in her heart , the separation was so cruel ; it had been over two hours now . More than once in the evening she ran down to the sitting-room , where her aunt was pretending to be absorbed in a book , to kiss her , to pet her , to smooth her grayish hair and pat her cheek , and get her to talk about her girlhood days . She was so happy that tears were in her eyes half the time . At nine o'clock there was a pull at the bell that threatened to drag the wire out , and an insignificant little urchin appeared with a telegram , which frightened Miss Forsythe , and seemed to Margaret to drop out of heaven . Such an absurd thing to do at night , said the aunt , and then she kissed Margaret , and laughed a little , and declared that things had come to a queer pass when people made love by telegraph . There was n't any love in the telegram , Margaret said ; but she knew better -- the sending word of his arrival was a marvelous exhibition of thoughtfulness and constancy . And then she led her aunt on to talk of Mr. Henderson , to give her impression , how he looked , what she really thought of him , and so on , and so on .