four o'clock in the afternoon
He could recall fifty occasions on which he could , or would , gladly have lost his head ; but now , retrospecting , he was inclined to give himself the credit rather than Roselle , that their relations had been so innocuous . And at the moment , although every second the boat brought him nearer to her , he felt strangely indifferent as to whether they met again or not . He supposed that he might , perhaps , go to see her in this new play , and perhaps take her out to supper . At four o'clock in the afternoon he was home . He ran up the grey stone stairs like a boy and attained that dear old door , the portal of home . Having mislaid his latchkey , he had listened eagerly , anticipating the sound of Marie 's feet flying down the hall . Feet came with a sort of drilled haste , but no eagerness .