the hour eight o'clock
Thereupon Mr. Gammon bade them good night , and went his way , marvelling that Polly Sparkes had all at once become so placable . Was it a stratagem to throw him off his guard and bring him into the clutches of some avenger one of these nights ? One never knew what went on in the minds of such young women as Polly . Next morning he had another surprise , a letter from his friend Greenacre , inviting him , with many phrases of studious politeness , to dine that day at a great hotel , the hour eight o'clock , and begging him to reply by telegram addressed to the same hotel . This puzzled Gammon , yet less than it could have done at an earlier stage of their acquaintance . He had abandoned the hope of explaining Greenacre 's mysterious circumstances , and the attempt to decide whether his stories were worthy of belief or not . Half suspecting that he might be the victim of a hoax he telegraphed an acceptance , and thought no more of the matter until evening approached .