noon before
`` Who was in there last ? '' `` I , '' said Grace , brushing out her hair , listlessly . `` He is still asleep . '' That report continued good all morning , and it was almost noon before the ragged , unbelievably unkempt old man on the bed opened his eyes . The girls had been looking forward to , yet dreading , this minute . It had been decided that only one of them should be in the room with him when he awoke , but the rest were hovering close to the door ready to give assistance if it should become necessary . But they need not have worried .