four o'clock
The only literature in the room was a catalogue of the Stores and some reports of charitable institutions . She read the cost of tins of sardines , pots of jam , table linen , household china and hardware , and tried to take some faint interest in the annual statements of the `` District Nursing Association '' and `` The Society for Providing Surgical Appliances for the Sick Poor '' . To amuse herself she was reduced to choosing a word at random and seeing how many other words she could make out of it , but as she had no pencil in her pocket to write them down , it was rather difficult to keep count , and the occupation soon palled . Shortly after four o'clock she heard a scrimmage on the little landing outside the door . A deep-toned voice , that sounded like Miss Beverley 's , said , `` Come away this minute ! '' and a high-pitched , excited voice -- undoubtedly Loveday 's -- protested , `` If you 'd _ only _ let me speak to her , I 'm certain -- '' Then a sound followed like somebody sliding down three steps at once , and Loveday 's voice , with words indistinguishable , but tone still highly indignant , grew fainter and farther away till it ceased altogether . Diana smiled rather bitterly .