three o’clock
One of the gentlemen kindly made signs to the porter to let her out , and asked if she had any baggage , or anyone to meet her . She thanked him by a smile and shake of the head ; she could not speak for the beating of her heart ; she felt almost as much upon the world as when the door in Bruton Street had shut behind her ; and besides , a terrible wild fancy had seized her -- suppose , just suppose , they were all gone away , or ill , or someone dead ! Perhaps she felt it would serve her right , and that was the reason she was in such terror . WHEN Kate had left the train , she was still two miles from St. James 's ; and it was half-past three o'clock , so that she began to feel that she had run away without her dinner , and that the beatings of her heart made her knees ache , so that she had no strength to walk . She thought her best measure would be to make her way to a pastry-cook 's shop that looked straight down the street to the Grammar School , and where it was rather a habit of the family to meet Charlie when they had gone into the town on business , and wanted to walk out with him . He would be out at four o'clock , and there would not be long to wait . So , feeling shy , and even more guilty and frightened than on her first start , Kate threaded the streets she knew so well , and almost gasping with nervous alarm , popped up the steps into the shop , and began instantly eating a bun , and gazing along the street .