nine o'clock
Why should she be so anxious about the time , if she were not awaiting some visitor , or message , or letter ? For a long time Jane Payland waited , and watched , and listened , without avail . No one went along the corridor to the blue parlour , except the chambermaid who removed the tea-things . Jane looked at her own watch , and found that it was past nine o'clock . `` Surely my lady can have no visitor to-night ? '' she thought . A quarter of an hour after this , she was startled by the creaking sound of a footstep on the uncarpeted floor of the corridor .