about
nine o'clock
These messages I never dared to give him , fearing to agitate him , or retard his recovery by diverting his thoughts into channels which must necessarily be of a painful character . That he should never even mention her name , or that of Lady Maltravers , led me to wonder sometimes if one of those curious freaks of memory which occasionally accompany a severe illness had not entirely blotted out from his mind the recollection of his marriage and of his wife 's death . He was unable to consider any affairs of business , and the management of the estate remained as it had done for the last two years in the hands of our excellent agent , Mr. Baker . But one evening in the early part of December he sent Raffaelle about nine o'clock , saying he wished to speak to me . I went to his room , and without any warning he began at once , `` You never show me my boy now , Sophy ; he must be grown a big child , and I should like to see him . '' Much startled by so unexpected a remark , I replied that the child was at Royston under the care of Mrs. Temple , but that I knew that if it pleased him to see Edward she would be glad to bring him down to Worth . He seemed gratified with this idea , and begged me to ask her to do so , desiring that his respects should be at the same time conveyed to her .