midnight
It was not till they had gone , that he was recalled to a sense of duty with regard to the note , and the hour was then late . However , it was as much as his place was worth for him to leave the delivery of it till the morning ; so , making his way across to the Civil Surgeon 's bungalow , he aroused Mrs. Dalton 's ayah , who , in her turn , roused her mistress , and handed her the communication from Honor . Thus does Fate control the destinies of individuals ; for , had the orderly done his duty earlier , there might have been a very different ending to this story . Meanwhile , a letter by the last post from Joyce in Darjeeling , engaged Honor till close upon midnight . It had given her much to think about , and called for a reply of congratulations , as it was written at a time of intense joy and thanksgiving over the restoration of happy relations with her husband : Joyce had written at great length , beginning her letter with a description of her journey and the miserable thoughts that had occupied her all the way . After giving a brief outline of the circumstances connected with her arrival at her husband 's rooms , she continued : `` You can imagine the shock it was to find her there and so very much at home ! I could have killed her !