seven o'clock
She rather stood aside with folded hands , and in an infinite terror of prejudicing fate , devoured her heart by way of keeping its beating normal . Perhaps , too , she had a vision of a final alternative to Lindsay 's marriage , one can imagine her forcing herself to look at it . Remove herself as she chose , Alicia could not avoid passing Lindsay 's room , for her own lay beyond it . In the seven o'clock half light of a February evening , in the middle of the week , she went along the matted upper hall on tiptoe , and stumbled over a veiled form squatted in the native way , near his door , profoundly asleep . `` Ayah ! '' she exclaimed , but the face that looked confusedly up at her was white , whiter than common , Captain Filbert 's face . Alicia drew her hand away and made an imperceptible movement in the direction of her skirts .