eight o'clock
I have told you that I did not pause to think ; that was my trouble in those days : I acted on impulse often , as schoolgirls are apt perhaps to do , and so I was not ready to stand this sudden temptation . I tied on my bonnet , gathered up my little purse tightly in my hand ; and although the day was cold , the sun was shining brightly , and my heart was so full of hope and anticipation that I scarcely thought of what I was doing , as I took a thin little jacket instead of the warm cloak my mother had made me for winter wear . I hurried out of the house , when there was no one to notice me , for the maids were careless in the housekeeper 's absence , and had slipped off for the moment -- at any rate , they said afterward they never saw me ; -- so off I went . `` I caught the eight o'clock train just in time ; which I considered most fortunate . How often afterward did I wish I had missed it ! And reasoning within myself as the wheels bore me away , that it was perfectly right to spend the money to go home , for my father had been quite willing for me to take the treat with Mrs. Ferguson and the others , I settled back in my seat , and tried not to feel strange at travelling alone . '' `` Oh dear me ! ''