four o’clock
But the dreariness of the deserted house , with no one on the steps but Quiz , and all the furniture muffled in sheets , struck Gillian more than she had expected , though the schoolroom had been wakened up for her , a bright fire on the hearth , and the cockatoo highly conversational , the cats so affectionate that it was difficult to take a step without stumbling over one of them . When the business had all been despatched , the wedding veil disinterred , and the best Brussels and Honiton safely disposed in a box , when an extremely dilapidated and much-inked collection of school-books had been routed out of the backstairs cupboard -LRB- commonly called Erebus -RRB- and duly packed , when a selection of lighter literature had been made with a view both to Valetta and Lilian ; when Gillian had shown all she could to Mrs. Mount , visited all the animals , gone round the garden , and made two beautiful posies of autumn flowers , one for her little sister and the other for Kalliope , discovered that Fergus 's precious machine had been ruthlessly made away with , but secured his tools , -- she found eating partridge in solitary grandeur rather dreary work , though she had all the bread-sauce to herself , and cream to her apple tart , to say nothing of Macrae , waiting upon her as if she had been a duchess , and conversing in high exultation upon the marriages , only regretting that one gentleman should be a civilian ; he had always augured that all his young ladies would be in the Service , and begging that he might be made aware of the wedding-day , so as to have the bells rung . To express her own feelings to the butler was not possible , and his glee almost infected her . She was quite sorry when , having placed a choice of pears and October peaches before her , he went off to entertain Mrs. Mount ; and after packing a substratum of the fruit in the basket for the Whites , she began almost to repent of having insisted on not returning to Rockstone till the four o'clock train , feeling her solitary liberty oppressive ; and finally she found herself walking down the drive in search of Miss Vincent . She had to confess to herself that her aunt was quite right , and that the omission would have been a real unkindness , when she saw how worn and tired the governess looked , and the brightness that flashed over the pale face at sight of her . Mrs. Vincent had been much worse , and though slightly better for the present was evidently in a critical state , very exhausting to her daughter . Good Miss Hacket at that moment came in to sit with her , and send the daughter out for some air ; and it was well that Gillian had had some practice in telling her story not too disconsolately , for it was received with all the delight that the mere notion of a marriage seems to inspire , though Phyllis and Alethea had scarcely been seen at Silverfold before they had gone to India with their father .