nearly one o'clock
That Helen was worse than she would admit he appreciated , and advised Barbara to send for Dr. Stone . The well-meant suggestion had apparently fallen on deaf ears , for no physician had appeared during the time he was in the house , nor had Barbara used the telephone , almost at her elbow as she sat by her sister 's couch , to summon Dr. Stone . Kent had only waited long enough to convince himself that Helen was out of danger , and then had departed . It was nearly one o'clock when he finally stepped inside his office , and he found his clerk and a dressy female bending eagerly over a newspaper . They looked up at his approach and Sylvester came forward . `` This is my wife , sir , '' he explained , and Kent bowed courteously to Mrs. Sylvester . `` We were just reading this account of Mr. Rochester 's disappearance ; it 's dreadful , sir , to think that the police believe him guilty of Mr. Turnbull 's murder . ''