six o'clock
-LSB- Illustration : `` THE GHOST GLIDED ON MORE SWIFTLY '' -RSB- About ten minutes later , the bell rang for tea , and , as Virginia did not come down , Mrs. Otis sent up one of the footmen to tell her . After a little time he returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginia anywhere . As she was in the habit of going out to the garden every evening to get flowers for the dinner-table , Mrs. Otis was not at all alarmed at first , but when six o'clock struck , and Virginia did not appear , she became really agitated , and sent the boys out to look for her , while she herself and Mr. Otis searched every room in the house . At half-past six the boys came back and said that they could find no trace of their sister anywhere . They were all now in the greatest state of excitement , and did not know what to do , when Mr. Otis suddenly remembered that , some few days before , he had given a band of gipsies permission to camp in the park . He accordingly at once set off for Blackfell Hollow , where he knew they were , accompanied by his eldest son and two of the farm-servants .