about three o'clock
in the afternoon
He would have tried to find out the state of things at the New House , but until war was declared that would not be right ! Mr. Palmer might be seeking how with dignity to move in the matter , for certainly the chief had placed him in a position yet more unpleasant than his own ! He must wait on ! The very day fortnight after the notice given , about three o'clock in the afternoon , came flying to the chief a ragged little urchin of the village , too breathless almost to make intelligible his news -- that there were men at Mistress Conal 's who would not go out of her house , and she and her old black cat were swearing at them . The chief ran : could the new laird be actually unhousing the aged , helpless woman ? It was the part of a devil and not of a man ! As he neared the place -- there were her poor possessions already on the roadside !