noon
And Ralph declared that , so far as he knew anything about it , there was nothing like the air of Paris to bring out the tones and colorings and veinings of hotel life . But the greatest difference between the former and the present condition of this little party lay in the fact that in San Francisco its principal member was Mrs. Philip Horn , while in Paris it was Miss Edna Markham . This change of name had been the result of nights of thought and hours of consultation . In San Francisco Edna felt herself to be Mrs. Horn as truly as if they had been married at high noon in one of the city churches , but although she could see no reason to change her faith in the reality of her conjugal status , she had begun to fear that Captain Horn might have different views upon the subject . This feeling had been brought about by the tone of his letters . If he should die , those letters might prove that she was then his widow , but it was plain that he did not wish to impress upon her mind that she was now his wife . If she had remained in San Francisco , Edna would have retained the captain 's name .