five o’clock
Unwilling to trust what I had written to the post , I sent my note by a messenger -- not one of our own servants , caution forbade that -- and instructed the man to wait for an answer : if Mr. Sherwin was out , to wait till he came home . After a long delay -- long to _ me ; _ for my impatience would fain have turned hours into minutes -- I received a reply . It was written on gilt-edged letter-paper , in a handwriting vulgarised by innumerable flourishes . Mr. Sherwin presented his respectful compliments , and would be happy to have the honour of seeing me at North Villa , if quite convenient , at five o'clock to-morrow afternoon . I folded up the letter carefully : it was almost as precious as a letter from Margaret herself . That night I passed sleeplessly , revolving in my mind every possible course that I could take at the interview of the morrow . It would be a difficult and a delicate business .