nine o'clock
He was a man who seemed a little ill at ease himself ; he had none of the superb confidence of the preacher ; but appeared to be one to whose natural character this stern _ rôle _ was not altogether congenial . He asked a few very simple questions ; as to when she had last taken the Sacrament ; how she would interpret the words , `` This is my Body '' ; and looked almost grateful when she answered quietly and without heat . He asked her too three or four of the simpler questions which Kate had indicated to her ; all of which she answered satisfactorily ; and then desired to know whether she was in charity with all men ; and whether she looked to Jesus Christ alone as her one Saviour . Finally he turned to Dr. Carrington , and wished to know whether Mistress Norris would come to the sacrament at five or nine o'clock , and Dr. Carrington answered that she would no doubt wish to come with his own wife and daughters at nine o'clock ; which was the hour for the folks who were better to do . And so the inquisition ended much to Isabel 's relief . But this was a very extraordinary experience to her ; it gave her a first glimpse into the rigid discipline that the extreme Puritans wished to see enforced everywhere ; and with it a sense of corporate responsibility that she had not appreciated before ; the congregation meant something to her now ; she was no longer alone with her Lord individually , but understood that she was part of a body with various functions , and that the care of her soul was not merely a personal matter for herself , but involved her minister and the officers of the Church as well . It astonished her to think that this process was carried out on every individual who lived in the town in preparation for the sacrament on the following Sunday .