ten o'clock
They ate quite heartily , as doctors and lawyers are prone to do when the opportunity presents itself . Immediately after dinner they repaired to the study and closed the door . All evening there were telephone conversations with New York and Washington , and frequent visits to Mrs. Bingle 's room by the doctor and Mr. Bingle . At ten o'clock Mr. Bingle walked out upon the moon-lit lawn and gazed about him in all directions , taking in the terraces , the park , the gardens , and last of all the splendid facade of the great house itself . Head gardener Edgecomb approached and to him Mr. Bingle said : `` It was a beautiful place -- a beautiful place , indeed , '' and then straightway returned to the house . Edgecomb , slack grammarian though he was , made note of the fact that he spoke of the house in the past tense , quite as if it were a thing that had ceased to exist . The children had had their supper when Melissa came down from Mrs. Bingle 's room , whither she had been summoned in some haste at five o'clock .