noon
Betty had scarcely recovered from that break in the home circle when Sally Tracy , with many blushes and much laughter , confessed that she , too , was about to follow Pamela 's example , and that a certain Mr. James Gould , the gentleman from Branford , of whom Moppet had been so suspicious , was the lucky individual upon whom she intended to bestow her hand . Verily , with all these wedding-bells sounding , Betty began to feel that she was likely to be left alone , but who only laughed gayly when twitted with her fancy for maidenhood , and danced as merrily at Sally 's wedding as if her heart had lain light in her bosom instead of aching bitterly for one whom she began to fear she should never see more . Little did Betty guess that bright October morning , when she and Moppet went forth bent on a nutting excursion , that a courier was even now speeding on his way whose coming would change the tide of her whole existence . And when , as noon struck , Oliver Wolcott dismounted at the door of his home and , walking straight to his father 's study , delivered a packet from General Wolcott to Miss Euphemia , his next move was a descent upon Miss Bidwell 's parlor and a hasty demand for Betty . So when Moppet and Betty appeared , rosy with success and a fair-sized bag of nuts as the result of their joint labors , they found the household in a state of suppressed excitement , and lo ! the cause was Oliver 's approaching marriage . `` You see , '' explained Oliver , when he finally got Betty to himself for a walk in the orchard after dinner , `` now that the treaty has been signed in Paris , the British will soon evacuate New York , and when our army enters , there will be grand doings to celebrate the event , and my father must ride at the head of the Connecticut troops on that day .