nearly one
o'clock
The house after Desmond 's departure settled dreamily down . Pamela , with red eyes , retreated to the schoolroom , and began to clear up the debris left by the packing ; Alice Gaddesden went to sleep in the drawing-room ; Mrs. Strang wrote urgent letters to registry offices , who now seldom answered her ; the Squire was in the library , and Elizabeth retreated early to her own room . She spent a good deal of time in writing up a locked diary , and finishing up a letter to her mother . Then she saw to her astonishment that it was nearly one o'clock , and began to feel sleepy . The night was warm , and before undressing she put out her light , and threw up her window . There was a moon nearly at the full outside , and across the misty stretches of the park the owls were calling . Suddenly she heard a distant footstep , and drew back from the window .