one o'clock
She heard no more of her visitor ; and shortly after , in an attempt to recover some mental serenity by violent physical exercise , she put on her hat and cloak and went out-of-doors , taking a path which led her up the slopes to the nearest spur of the wood . She disliked the woods , but they had the advantage of being a place in which she could walk comparatively unobserved . There was agitation to-day in the lives of all whom these matters concerned . It was not till the Hintock dinner-time -- one o'clock -- that Grace discovered her father 's absence from the house after a departure in the morning under somewhat unusual conditions . By a little reasoning and inquiry she was able to come to a conclusion on his destination , and to divine his errand . Her husband was absent , and her father did not return . He had , in truth , gone on to Sherton after the interview , but this Grace did not know .