noon
Shall I knock , and see if she 's stirring yet ? No , no , -- ' t wo n't do ! If little Phoebe was about the house , I should not mind knocking ; but Miss Hepzibah , likely as not , would scowl down at me out of the window , and look cross , even if she felt pleasantly . So , I 'll come back at noon . '' With these reflections , the old man was shutting the gate of the little back-yard . Creaking on its hinges , however , like every other gate and door about the premises , the sound reached the ears of the occupant of the northern gable , one of the windows of which had a side-view towards the gate . `` Good-morning , Uncle Venner ! ''