midday
She made violent efforts to be gracious and pitiful to Mr. Coventry , and the next minute made him suffer for it by treating him like a troublesome hound . He loved her madly , yet sometimes he felt tempted to kill her , and end both her torture and his own . Such was the inner life of Grace Carden for many days ; devoid of striking incident , yet well worthy of study by those who care to pierce below the surface , and see what passes in the hearts of the unhappy , and to learn how things come gradually about that sound incredible when not so traced , yet are natural and almost inevitable results of certain conflicting passions in a virgin heart . One day Mr. Carden telegraphed from London to Mr. Coventry at Hillsborough that he was coming down to Eastbank by the midday express , and would be glad to meet him there at four o'clock . He also telegraphed to Grace , and said , `` Dinner at five . '' Both gentlemen arrived about the same time , a little before dinner . Soon after dinner was over , Grace observed a restlessness in her father 's manner , which convinced her he had something private to say to Mr. Coventry .