ten o'clock
As I have said before , I am very nervous , and the prospect of spending several more weeks in the big London house , without my husband , was far from pleasant ; so I invited my widowed sister and her girls to stay with me some time longer , and made up my mind to banish my fears , and think of nothing but that the dark nights would be getting shorter and shorter , and meanwhile our house was well protected , as far as good strong bolts and chains could do so . One night I felt more nervous than usual . I had expected a letter from America for some days past , and none had arrived . On this evening I knew the mail was due , and I waited anxiously for the last ring of the postman at ten o'clock ; but I was doomed to listen in vain . There was the sharp , loud ring next door , but not at ours ; and I went to my room earlier than the others , really to give way to a few tears that I could not control . I sat by my bedroom fire , thinking , and , I am afraid , conjuring up all sorts of terrible reasons for my dear husband 's silence , until I must have fallen asleep , for I awoke chilly and cramped from the uncomfortable posture I had slept in . The fire was out , and the house silent as the grave ; not even a carriage passing to take up some late guest .