noon
What sly animals women are ! ' Then he placidly dismissed the matter , and went on with his daily affairs . By this time Ella at home had come to a determination . Mrs. Hooper , in sending the hair and photograph , had informed her of the day of the funeral ; and as the morning and noon wore on an overpowering wish to know where they were laying him took possession of the sympathetic woman . Caring very little now what her husband or any one else might think of her eccentricities ; she wrote Marchmill a brief note , stating that she was called away for the afternoon and evening , but would return on the following morning . This she left on his desk , and having given the same information to the servants , went out of the house on foot . When Mr. Marchmill reached home early in the afternoon the servants looked anxious .