nine o'clock
She recurred again and again to the old theme , only to say to herself a hundred times , `` Jamie is safe . '' Had she lived so much upon this child that the secret of her interest had been self-forgetfulness ? Her search was ended , and she was left alone -- quite alone with herself . She reached All Saints ' Street between eight and nine o'clock . It was a clear night ; the streets were full of carriages and people , and the lights of the lamps and shops had never been brighter . But an aspect of unreality pervaded everything , and she seemed to move through all these lights and sounds as if she were in a city of dreams . When she had answered Miss Saxon 's questions , and told her all that had happened in as few words as possible , she went upstairs to her sitting-room ; and then she sank into a chair , leaning her head upon its back , and looking up at the stars above the roof .