four o'clock
`` Please , '' she said . And he felt hurt and rebuffed . He had no sentiment for her whatever , but the devil of mischief of twenty-two was behind him , urging him on to the eternal experiment . He was very formal with her for the rest of the day , and had the satisfaction of leaving her , at four o'clock , white-faced and miserable over her machine in the little office next to his . He forgot her immediately , in the attempt to leave the mill without encountering his father . Clayton , he knew , would be staying late , and would be exacting similar tribute to the emergency from the entire force . Also , he had been going about the yard with contractors most of the afternoon .