seven o'clock
She may have been right , though not entirely so , I think . But it is certain that , in the case of Father Hinton , the dramatic personality of the man did nothing to lessen the magnitude of his office in the minds of such members of his flock as Sylvia . I gathered that belief in the celibacy of the clergy was , if not an article of faith , at least a part of piety at St. Jude 's . Before seven o'clock on Sunday morning I heard footsteps on the gravel under my window , and , looking out , saw Sylvia , book in hand , leaving the house . She was exquisitely dressed , the distinguishing note of her attire being , as always in my eyes , a demure sort of richness and picturesqueness . Never was there another saint so charming in appearance , I thought . Her very Prayer Book , or whatever the volume might be , had a seductive , feminine charm about its dimpled cover .