nine
o'clock
Mr. Juxon was delighted to find that the difficult task of putting Mrs. Ambrose in possession of the facts of the case had been accomplished in the ordinary , the very ordinary , course of events by her own determination to find out what was to be known . In an hour she might be at Goddard 's bedside , and Mrs. Goddard would be free to see her husband . He despatched a note at once and redoubled his attentions to the sick man whose condition , however , showed no signs of changing . Mrs. Ambrose kept her word and arrived with the vicar before nine o'clock , protesting her determination to take care of poor Goddard , so long as he needed any care . Mr. Juxon warned her that John did not know who the man was , and entreated her to be careful of her speech when John was present . There was no reason why John should ever know anything more about it , he said ; three could keep a secret , but no one knew whether four could be as discreet . The squire took Mrs. Ambrose and her husband to Goddard 's room and telling her that Doctor Longstreet was expected in an hour , by which time he himself hoped to have returned , he left the two good people in charge of the sick man and went to see Mrs. Goddard .