nearly noon
The same phantoms , though fainter in the daylight , still flitted about the cottage and mingled among the crowd of familiar faces that were drawn thither by the news of Ralph Cranfield 's return to bid him welcome for his mother 's sake . There they found him , a tall , dark , stately man of foreign aspect , courteous in demeanor and mild of speech , yet with an abstracted eye which seemed often to snatch a glance at the invisible . Meantime , the widow Cranfield went bustling about the house full of joy that she again had somebody to love and be careful of , and for whom she might vex and tease herself with the petty troubles of daily life . It was nearly noon when she looked forth from the door and descried three personages of note coming along the street through the hot sunshine and the masses of elm-tree shade . At length they reached her gate and undid the latch . `` See , Ralph ! '' exclaimed she , with maternal pride ; `` here is Squire Hawkwood and the two other selectmen coming on purpose to see you .