seven o'clock
`` Oh , my dear child , my best dress ! do n't let it get crushed , '' said the little widow . Florence 's trembling hands smoothed out the rich folds , she placed the dress in the top of the trunk , and before half-past six that morning Mrs. Aylmer was dressed and her things packed . Then Florence went down again through the house and awoke one of the servants , and got her to wake a groom , who put a horse to a trap and brought it round to a side door , and so it came to pass that before seven o'clock that morning Mrs. Aylmer and Florence had left Cherry Court Park forever . When they got into the train poor Mrs. Aylmer turned to Florence and begged for an explanation . `` I guess something dreadful has happened , but I ca n't imagine what it is , '' she said . `` What does this mean , Florence ? ''