five o'clock
While Mellen stood on the veranda in front of the house , Mr. Rhodes came up the avenue . There was no hope of escape for him ; he had not perceived the visitor until it was too late to retreat , and a voice called out : `` Oh , there you are , old fellow ; I 'm in luck after all . You see I walked over to my farm on the back road , '' he explained , `` intending to take the half-past three train to New York , but I missed it . So I said to myself , ` I 'll cut across the fields , down the hill , and stop at Mellen 's , beg a dinner , and get him to send me over in time for the five o'clock train ' -- was n't a bad idea , eh ? '' `` A very good idea on the contrary , '' Mellen answered , with a desperate attempt at hospitality , while the visitor wrung his hand again and burst into shouts of laughter , as if some wonderfully good joke lay in the affair . `` And how is your good lady ? '' he asked .