half past four
It must be wonderful to be like that , to have people needing one , and looking out of the door and saying : `` I think I see him coming now . '' Nevertheless when the postman rang her heart gave a small leap and then stood quite still . When Annie slowly mounted the stairs she was already on her feet , but it was only a card announcing : `` Mrs. Sayre , Wednesday , May fifteenth , luncheon at one-thirty . '' However , at half past four the bell rang again , and a masculine voice informed Annie , a moment later , that it would put its overcoat here , because lately a dog had eaten a piece out of it and got most awful indigestion . The time it took Annie to get up the stairs again gave her a moment so that she could breathe more naturally , and she went down very deliberately and so dreadfully poised that at first he thought she was not glad to see him . `` I came , you see , '' he said . `` I intended to wait until to-morrow , but I had a little time .