eight o'clock
Mr. Latimer said he was coming to call , that evening , and Mr. Dalken wished to come in at the same time . Would the girls be home ? Polly assured him they would , and also that he would be welcomed as she wished to hear about the important matters that he could fully explain to her . Soon after eight o'clock , therefore , Mr. Latimer and Mr. Dalken were announced . Polly and Eleanor -- the latter had realized that maybe her future , because of this disaster to the mine would not be as luxurious as she had dreamed of -- anxiously welcomed the two men . Polly lost no time in polite nothings , but asked , at once , about the conditions at the mines . `` I see you have heard about the trouble ? ''