nine o'clock
She had to lie calm , and the sudden tranquillity seemed strange after the feverish violence of the night . Only twenty-four hours since , and she had been worrying about the death of a dog ! With a body crying for sleep , she dozed off , thoughts of the mystery of life merging into the incoherence of dreams . The news was abroad in the Square before nine o'clock . There were persons who had witnessed the arrival of the motorcar , and the transfer of Sophia to the house . Untruthful rumours had spread as to the manner of Gerald Scales 's death . Some said that he had dramatically committed suicide .