midnight
A silent figure who rode behind them was as interested as Dornell in that day 's experiment . It was the staunch Tupcombe , who , with his eyes on the Squire 's and young Phelipson 's backs , thought how well the latter would have suited Betty , and how greatly the former had changed for the worse during these last two or three years . He cursed his mistress as the cause of the change . After this memorable visit to prove his point , the lives of the Dornell couple flowed on quietly enough for the space of a twelvemonth , the Squire for the most part remaining at Falls , and Betty passing and repassing between them now and then , once or twice alarming her mother by not driving home from her father 's house till midnight . * * * * * The repose of King 's - Hintock was broken by the arrival of a special messenger . Squire Dornell had had an access of gout so violent as to be serious . He wished to see Betty again : why had she not come for so long ?