about noon
He walked up and down the gravel path for a long time , thinking of this ; or rather trying to think of it , for his thoughts would fly away to all manner of other subjects , and he continually found himself harping upon some trifle , connected with Anty , but wholly irrespective of her death ; some little thing that she had done for him , or ought to have done ; something she had said a long time ago , and which he had never thought of till now ; something she had worn , and which at the time he did not even know that he had observed ; and as often as he found his mind thus wandering , he would start off at a quicker pace , and again endeavour to lay out a line of conduct for the evening . At last , however , he came to the conclusion that it would be better to trust to the chapter of chances : there was one thing , or rather two things , he could certainly do : he could make the doctor half drunk before he opened on the subject , and he would take care to be in the same state himself . So he walked in and sat still before the fire , for the two long remaining hours , which intervened before the clock struck six . It was about noon when the doctor left him , and during those six long solitary hours no one feeling of remorse had entered his breast . He had often doubted , hesitated as to the practicability of his present plan , but not once had he made the faintest effort to overcome the wish to have the deed done . There was not one moment in which he would not most willingly have had his sister 's blood upon his hands , upon his brain , upon his soul ; could he have willed and accomplished her death , without making himself liable to the penalties of the law . At length Doctor Colligan came , and Barry made a great effort to appear unconcerned and in good humour .