Four o'clock
_ Women , chattering over their tea in the lounge of the Empire Hotel , followed the tall restless young man with their eyes . He was worth looking at , so big and fine , and bronzed , and so worried , so anxious-looking , poor fellow . Four o'clock , a quarter past , half past . She would not come . Of course she would not come ; he had offended past all forgiveness in taking so long to reply to her appeal . Hugh Alston cursed the unlucky star that he must have been born under .