ten o'clock
We had hearth fires all through the house , and Martin , rearranging some reference books for his own convenience in the little room that is an annex to father 's library , wore his skull cap and Chinese silk dressing gown , which gave him an antique air quite at variance with his clear skin and eyes . Lavinia Dorman had been due all the week , but worry with the workmen who are building in the rear of her house detained her , and she telegraphed me that she would take the morning express , and asked me to meet her over in town . So I drove in myself , dropping father at the hospital on the way , but on reaching the station the train brought me no passenger . I returned home , hoping to be in time for our way train , thinking I had mistaken her message , and missed it ; but the postmistress , -- for every strange face is noticed in town , -- told me that the lady who visited me two weeks ago walked up from the ten o'clock train ; that she had a new bonnet and `` moved right spry , '' and asked if she was a relative of mine . `` An aunt , maybe , and was the pleasant new gentleman an uncle , and did he write a newspaper ? She thought maybe he did because he was so particular about his mail . '' I said something about their being adopted relations , and hurried home .