one o'clock
On the day appointed Ringfield was sitting dully enough in his room over the carpenter 's shop . Pauline was lingering on at Poussette 's , partly because she had no other place to go , and partly because Ringfield was near . Their relations had not outwardly progressed since the evening on her balcony ; several other meetings had taken place , but once assured that she was free , Ringfield settled to his work , preferring to put the whole episode from him for a while , until he could feel satisfied that she might be approached on the subject of the theatre . Thus their feelings were like Tennyson 's wood , all in a mist of green with nothing perfect ; meanwhile only a couple of planks separated them at this very instant , and , as usual , his thoughts were hovering about her at this hour , about half-past one o'clock , when he heard his name called by a younger member of the Gagnon family -LRB- a numerous one of five boys and four little girls -RRB- , and descended to meet Mrs. Abercorn . This lady was taking the opportunity , in her rôle of auxiliary parson and general parochial assistant , of putting in a good word for Hawthorne and St. Basil 's as she sat in her buggy at the door , surrounded by Poussette , Martin , and eight or ten children . An intractable little mare pawed and shuffled in an uncertain frame of mind , apparently viewing with special disfavour the fiddling of Antoine Archambault , who had been hanging around the village ever since Pauline 's return . Glancing consciously up , Ringfield thought he perceived a white hand and gleaming bracelet at the window of his old room .