about noon
When the next day came she began to be sorely troubled in her mind ; or rather the trouble which had been in it ever since her return from Kingston , and which she had tried not to think about , had to be faced , and it looked somewhat formidable . For she had not yet seen Mary , in spite of her promise made at their last parting to go to her immediately on her return from Kingston . But much had happened since their parting : she had met and had become friendly with the man that Mary hated with a great hatred ; and she feared that when she came to relate these things , which would have to be related , there would be a storm . But she could no longer delay to encounter it , and Fan knew , better than most perhaps , how to bow her head and escape harm ; and so , putting a bold face on it -- though it was not a very bold face -- she got into a cab about noon and had herself driven to Dawson Place . Her friend received her in a strangely quiet way , with just a kiss which was not warm , a few commonplace words of welcome , and a smile which did not linger long on her lips . `` Why are you so cold , Mary ? '' `` Why are you shamefaced , Fan ? ''