seven o'clock
She wondered with a simple practical wonderment , devoid of fear , whether or no she had a case of cholera in her compound . To-morrow it would be well to ascertain the truth ; and in the meantime she dismissed the matter from her mind . Before tiffin was over at the station Mess , Wyndham made his appearance , and with a friendly nod of welcome took the reins out of her hands . But by seven o'clock she was back at her post ; and one look at Harry 's flushed face and unseeing eyes convinced her that the next twelve hours would make a high demand upon her energies , and her resolute hopefulness of heart . Desmond came in before Mess . His eyes were grave and anxious , and for many minutes he stood looking down upon the boy in silence ; the slim uprightness of his figure emphasised by the close-fitting white uniform , with its wide splash of scarlet at the waist . Then he crossed to the table and studied the chart , that strange hieroglyph , like a negative print of forked lightning , so full of dread meaning to those who can read it aright .