four o'clock
As the artist , conscious of the scrutinizing gaze of his friend , read the closely written pages , his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and shame . When he had finished , he faced the novelist 's eyes steadily and , without speaking , deliberately and methodically tore Mrs. Taine 's letter into tiny fragments . Dropping the scraps of paper into the waste basket , he dusted his hands together with a significant gesture and looked at his watch . `` Her train left at four o'clock . It is now four-thirty . '' `` For which , '' returned Conrad Lagrange , solemnly , `` let us give thanks . '' As the novelist spoke , Czar , on the porch outside , gave a low `` woof '' that signalized the approach of a friend .