eight o'clock
Here , in the chill bright morning , he felt more a stranger to Irene than on the day , six years ago , when with foolish timidity he ventured his useless call . She was merely indifferent to him then ; now she shrank from the sound of his name . On such a morning , a few weeks later , he pursued his walk in the direction of Kensington , and passed along Queen 's Gate . It was between seven and eight o'clock . Nearing John Jacks house , he saw a carriage at the door ; it could of course be only the doctor 's , and he became sad in thinking of his kind old friend , for whom the last days of life were made so hard . Just as he was passing , the door opened , and a man , evidently a doctor , came quickly forth . With movement as if he were here for this purpose , Otway ran up the steps ; the servant saw him , and waited with the door still open .