about noon
It was so evident that they were strengthening her in her new struggle -- they shed such a glow of calm enthusiasm over her face as she spoke of them , that Mr. Tryan could not bear to throw on them the chill of premonitory doubts , though a previous conversation he had had with Mr. Pilgrim had convinced him that there was not the faintest probability of Dempster 's recovery . Poor Janet did not know the significance of the changing symptoms , and when , after the lapse of a week , the delirium began to lose some of its violence , and to be interrupted by longer and longer intervals of stupor , she tried to think that these might be steps on the way to recovery , and she shrank from questioning Mr. Pilgrim lest he should confirm the fears that began to get predominance in her mind . But before many days were past , he thought it right not to allow her to blind herself any longer . One day -- it was just about noon , when bad news always seems most sickening -- he led her from her husband 's chamber into the opposite drawing-room , where Mrs. Raynor was sitting , and said to her , in that low tone of sympathetic feeling which sometimes gave a sudden air of gentleness to this rough man -- ` My dear Mrs. Dempster , it is right in these cases , you know , to be prepared for the worst . I think I shall be saving you pain by preventing you from entertaining any false hopes , and Mr. Dempster 's state is now such that I fear we must consider recovery impossible . The affection of the brain might not have been hopeless , but , you see , there is a terrible complication ; and , I am grieved to say , the broken limb is mortifying . ' Janet listened with a sinking heart .