a
quarter past seven
You might have seen , if you had been there to see , just a momentary hesitation after she 'd got her trunk key out of her purse before she unlocked it . It was a sort of Jack-in-the-box , that trunk . Would the emotions with which she 'd packed it , spring out and clutch her as she released the hasp ? The saving factor in the situation was that it was a quarter past seven . In fifteen minutes she must be back at North End Hall , getting ready to go to work at her job . Suppose she had n't found a job this afternoon ? The thought turned her giddy .