three o’clock
Anne now began to think that the whole of what she had heard might be a falsehood , or a mistake ; one moment she blamed herself for so easily suspecting a person who had shown her so much kindness ; but the next minute the emphatic words and warning looks of the woman recurred to her mind ; and though they were but the words and looks of an orange-woman , she could not help dreading that there was some truth in them . The clock struck ten whilst she was in this uncertainty . The woman of the house urged her to go without farther delay to Mrs. Carver 's , who would undoubtedly be displeased by any want of punctuality ; but Anne wished to wait for the return of her father and mother . `` They will not be back , either of them , these three hours , for your mother is gone to the other end of the town about that old bill of Colonel Pembroke 's , and your father is gone to buy some silk for weaving -- he told me he should not be home before three o'clock . '' Notwithstanding these remonstrances , Anne persisted in her resolution : she took off the clothes which she had received from Mrs. Carver , and put on those which she had been used to wear . Her mother was much surprised , when she came in , to see her in this condition ; and no words can describe her grief , when she heard the cause of this change . She blamed herself severely for not having made inquiries concerning Mrs. Carver before she had suffered her daughter to accept of any presents from her ; and she wept bitterly , when she recollected the money which this woman had lent her husband .