About eight o'clock in the evening
By the middle of the following week , men were going in here and there , and the stampede of defeat had begun . George , passing through the pinched and lowering faces that lined the village , hated the triumph of his class . On the 21st , he rode over to a neighbouring town , where local committees , both of masters and men , were sitting , to see if there was any final news as to the pits of his own valley . About eight o'clock in the evening Letty heard his horse 's hoofs returning . She knew that he was accustomed to ride in the dark , but the rumours of violence and excitement that filled the air had unnerved her , and she had been listening to every sound for some time past . When the door was open she ran out . `` Yes , I 'm late , '' said George , in answer to her remonstrances ; `` but it is all right -- it was worth waiting for .