seven o'clock
Her announcement of an engagement with Mrs. Dallam had been , to put it politely , fiction . She spent the rest of the afternoon writing letters home , pausing at periods to look out of the window . Occasionally it appeared that her reflections were amusing . At seven o'clock Howard arrived , flushed and tired after his day of rest . `` By the way , Honora , I saw Trixy Brent at the Club , and he said you would n't go riding with him . '' `` Do you call him Trixy to his face ? '' she asked .