four o'clock
The thought of her anguish drowned the pain he felt on his own account , and his suffering for her sake seemed more than he could bear . Billy Little , he supposed , had gone to the wedding , and for the first time in Dic 's life he was angry with that steadfast friend . Dic knew that the sudden plunge from joy to anguish had brought a benumbing shock , and while he sat beside the fire he realized that his suffering had only begun -- that his real anguish would come with the keener consciousness of reaction . At four o'clock that same afternoon Billy was seated in Rita 's parlor , whispering to her . `` My dear girl , I bring you good news . You ca n't save Tom . He forged Wallace 's name to a note for four hundred dollars , and passed it at the bank six weeks ago .