twelve o'clock
To account for his abrupt departure from Lynbrook he had left word that he was called to town on business ; but , since he did not mean to return , some farther explanation was now necessary , and he was paralyzed by the difficulty of writing . He had already telegraphed to his friend that he would be at the mills the next day ; but the southern express did not leave till the afternoon , and he still had several hours in which to consider what he should say to his wife . To postpone the dreaded task , he invented the pretext of some business to be despatched , and taking the Subway to Wall Street consumed the morning in futile activities . But since the renunciation of his work at Westmore he had no active concern with the financial world , and by twelve o'clock he had exhausted his imaginary affairs and was journeying up town again . He left the train at Union Square , and walked along Fourth Avenue , now definitely resolved to go back to the hotel and write his letter before lunching . At Twenty-sixth Street he had struck into Madison Avenue , and was striding onward with the fixed eye and aimless haste of the man who has empty hours to fill , when a hansom drew up ahead of him and Justine Brent sprang out . She was trimly dressed , as if for travel , with a small bag in her hand ; but at sight of him she paused with a cry of pleasure .