noon
The crash caused the girl to stop and look . For a moment they stood thus , the girl in the chill street , the man in the pleasant window , looking at each other . Next moment Cissie hurried on up the village street toward the Arkwright house . No doubt she was on her way to cook the noon meal . Peter remained standing at the window , with a heavily beating heart . He watched her until she vanished behind a wing of the shrubbery in the Renfrew yard . When she had gone , he looked at his books and cards , sat down , and tried to resume his indexing .