about four o'clock in the afternoon
Consequently , all attempts at concerted action were dropped , and each for herself determined that Mrs. Cliff should know that she was a true friend , and to trust to the good lady 's well-known gratitude and friendly feeling when the time should come for her to apportion her worldly goods among the dear ones she would leave behind her . There were certain articles in Mrs. Cliff 's house for which each of her friends had a decided admiration , and remarks were often made which it was believed would render it impossible for Mrs. Cliff to make a mistake when she should be planning her will , and asking herself to whom she should give this , and to whom that ? It was about a week after the events in Miss Cushing 's parlor , that something occurred which sent a thrill through the souls of a good many people in Plainton , affecting them more or less according to their degree of sensibility . Willy Croup , who had been driven about the town attending to various matters of business and pleasure , was informed by Andrew Marks , as she alighted about four o'clock in the afternoon at the house of an acquaintance , that he hoped she would not stop very long because he had some business of his own to attend to that afternoon , and he wanted to get the horse cared for and the cow milked as early as possible , so that he might lock up the barn and go away . To this Willy answered that he need not wait for her , for she could easily walk home when she had finished her visit . But when she left the house , after a protracted call , she did not walk very far , for it so happened that Mr. Burke , who had found leisure that afternoon to take a drive in his barouche , came up behind her , and very naturally stopped and offered to take her home . Willy , quite as naturally , accepted the polite proposition and seated herself in the barouche by the side of the fur-trimmed overcoat and the high silk hat .