eight o'clock
He could not know that she was so near to him -- that at a certain time and place he would certainly see her and listen to her -- without going . He bethought him , moreover , of what he had once heard her say -- that while she could fairly well make out the people in the galleries and boxes , those who were sitting in the stalls close to the orchestra were , by reason of the glare of the foot-lights , quite invisible to her . Might he not , then , get into some corner where , himself unseen , he might be so near to her that he could almost stretch out his hand to her and take her hand , and tell , by its warmth and throbbing , that it was a real woman , and not a dream , that filled his heart ? Major Stuart was put off by some excuse , and at eight o'clock Macleod walked up to the theatre . He drew near with some apprehension ; it almost seemed to him as though the man in the box-office recognized him , and knew the reason for his demanding one of those stalls . He got it easily enough ; there was no great run on the new piece , even though Miss Gertrude White was the heroine . He made his way along the narrow corridors ; he passed into the glare of the house ; he took his seat with his ears dinned by the loud music , and waited .