eleven o'clock at night
And if anybody was , he would take the letter , and it is to be hoped he remembered to deliver it in the course of a week . In spite of the precautions of the postmistress uncalled for letters would gradually accumulate , and there was a little bundle of these in one of the few pigeon holes in a small desk in the corner of the room , in the drawer of which the postage stamps were kept . Now and then a registered letter would arrive , and this always created considerable sensation in the room , and if the legal recipient did not happen to be present , Miss Harriet never breathed a quiet breath until he or she had been sent for , had taken the letter , and given her a receipt . Sometimes she sat up as late as eleven o'clock at night on mail days , hoping that some one who had been sent for would arrive to relieve her of a registered letter . All the mail matter had been distributed , everybody but Mr Madison Chalkley had left the room ; and when the old gentleman , as was his wont on the first day of the month , had gone up to the desk , untied the bundle of uncalled-for letters , the outer ones permanently rounded by the tightness of the cord , and after carefully looking over them , one by one , had made his usual remark about the folly of people who would n't stay in a place until their letters could get to them , had tied up the bundle and taken his departure ; then Miss Harriet put the empty mail bag under the desk , and went up-stairs where an old lady sat by the window , sewing in the fading light . `` No letters for you to-day , Mrs Keswick , '' said she . `` Of course not , '' was the answer , `` I did n't expect any . ''