ten o'clock
Hinge had dinner ready when I reached home , but I had no appetite for it , and , to the good fellow 's dismay , I sent it away untasted . I turned over a thousand schemes that evening , and rejected each in turn . But I decided , finally , to prepare an advertisement for the newspapers , Which might perhaps prevent further mischief . I concocted so many subterfuges , each of which in turn proved to reveal too much or to be too enigmatical , that at ten o'clock I found myself with a dozen sheets of closely-written paper before me . But at last I hit on this : `` Dear Violet , -- Distrust altogether anything you may hear to my disadvantage until I have found an opportunity to explain . Do not wonder at not hearing from me . Both your letters and mine are intercepted .