about eight o'clock
He even began to arrange what sort of a letter he should write to Silas . But men of forty , especially of Joseph 's temperament , who have moved in the same business and domestic ruts all their lives , do not readily make up their minds to bold steps of this sort . To endure suffering or inconvenience is more natural than to change their settled habits . So it all ended in his going home at about eight o'clock , and being greatly relieved to find some callers there . All three of this strangely stricken family , indeed , shared that feeling . It was such a rest from the nervous strain whenever either or both were left alone with Joseph ! The earnestness with which Mrs. Kilgore pressed her guests to stay a little longer was so unusual and apparently uncalled for that I fancy Mr. and Mrs. Smith had a vague suspicion that they were being made game of .