about
ten in the morning
The girl had not wholly shaken off the influence of her aunt 's opposition , and she shrank with almost morbid dread from being the subject of remark even among those of her own class . The chief and controlling motive for secrecy , however , had been distrust , the fear that the undertaking would not be successful . As the days had passed this fear had been removed . Aun ' Sheba did not come to make her returns until after she had taken her supper in the evening , and at about ten in the morning she reached Mara 's home by an unfrequented side street . There were those , however , who had begun to notice the regularity of her visits and among them was Owen Clancy . We have also seen that the daintiness of the viands had caused surmises . Mara had become preoccupied with her success and with plans for increasing it .