midday
He would have been amazed , enraged through wounded vanity , if it had been possible for him to see himself from Dora 's point of view : a subject for reformation ; a test for many trite theories ; an erring human to be reclaimed by a woman 's benign influence . Naturally , these thoughts had not suggested themselves to Smith . Ralston looked forward eagerly to the evening meal , since it was almost the only time at which he could exchange a word with Dora . Breakfast was a hurried affair , while both she and Susie were absent from the midday dinner . The shy , fluttering glances which he occasionally surprised from her , the look of mutual appreciation which sometimes passed between them at a quaint bit of philosophy or naïve remark , started his pulses dancing and set the whole world singing a wordless song of joy . Somehow , eating seemed a vulgar function in the Schoolmarm 's presence , and he wished with all his heart that the abominable grammar lessons which filled her evenings might some time end ; in which case he would be able to converse with her when not engaged in rushing bread and meat to and fro . His most carefully laid plans to obtain a few minutes alone with her were invariably thwarted by Smith .