noon
She looked at Verena fixedly , felt that she was stirred to her depths , that she was exquisitely passionate and sincere , that she was a quivering , spotless , consecrated maiden , that she really had renounced , that they were both safe , and that her own injustice and indelicacy had been great . She came to her slowly , took her in her arms and held her long -- giving her a silent kiss . From which Verena knew that she believed her . The hour that Olive proposed to Mrs. Burrage , in a note sent early the next morning , for the interview to which she consented to lend herself , was the stroke of noon ; this period of the day being chosen in consequence of a prevision of many subsequent calls upon her time . She remarked in her note that she did not wish any carriage to be sent for her , and she surged and swayed up the Fifth Avenue on one of the convulsive , clattering omnibuses which circulate in that thoroughfare . One of her reasons for mentioning twelve o'clock had been that she knew Basil Ransom was to call at Tenth Street at eleven , and -LRB- as she supposed he did n't intend to stay all day -RRB- this would give her time to see him come and go . It had been tacitly agreed between them , the night before , that Verena was quite firm enough in her faith to submit to his visit , and that such a course would be much more dignified than dodging it .