seven o'clock
The effect which the photograph of Miss Delamar had upon him , and the transformation it had accomplished in his room , had been as great as would have marked the presence there of the girl herself . While considering this it had come to Stuart , like a flash of inspiration , that here was a way by which he could test the responsibilities and conditions of married life without compromising either himself or the girl to whom he would suppose himself to be married . `` I will put that picture at the head of the table , '' he said , `` and I will play that it is she herself , her own beautiful , lovely self , and I will talk to her and exchange views with her , and make her answer me just as she would were we actually married and settled . '' He looked at his watch and found it was just seven o'clock . `` I will begin now , '' he said , `` and I will keep up the delusion until midnight . To-night is the best time to try the experiment , because the picture is new now , and its influence will be all the more real . In a few weeks it may have lost some of its freshness and reality and will have become one of the fixtures in the room . ''