About twelve o'clock
I only wish that he possessed the manliness I would have had if similarly situated . Were this so , I would now be free by his act , not my own . '' Seeing that all she urged but made the feelings of Edith oppose themselves more strongly to the young man , Mrs. Ravensworth ceased to speak upon the subject , and the former was left to brood with a deeply disturbed heart over the approaching interview with one who had come to claim a hand that she resolutely determined not to yield . About twelve o'clock , Mrs. Ravensworth came to Edith 's room and announced the arrival of Edward Hamden . The maiden 's face became pale , and her lips quivered . `` If I could but be spared an interview , '' she murmured . `` But that is more than I can ask . ''