ten o'clock
If eternity was really eternity , there was exactly as much time coming as had passed . In any event no well-regulated New England mind would permit itself to become disturbed over so small a matter . Smith , guessing perhaps something of this from his companion 's placid face , felt a momentary embarrassment at his own impatience . `` I 've an engagement at ten o'clock , '' he remarked , somewhat apologetically , to his conservative neighbor . `` Do you suppose this train is going to let me keep it ? '' The gentleman addressed cautiously expressed the opinion that if no further malign influences were felt , and the train were presently to start , the remainder of the journey would occupy comparatively little time . And so in due course it came to pass as the elderly Bostonian had predicted , clearly proving -- if Smith had been open to accept proof -- that the Oriental method of reasoning is the most comfortable , whatever may be said of its efficiency .