seven o'clock
She told her heart that things had fallen out better than if she had planned them so ; and she was so thoughtful for the weary man 's comfort , so attentive and so amusing , that he found it easy to respond to the happy atmosphere surrounding him . He had a score of pleasant things to tell about the fashionable exodus to Philadelphia , about the handsome dresses that had been shown him , and the funny household dilemmas that had been told him . And he was much pleased because Harry De Lancey had been a great part of the day with him , and was very eloquent indeed about the young man 's good sense and good disposition , and the unnecessary , and almost cruel , confiscation of property his family had suffered , for their Tory principles . And in the midst of the De Lancey lamentation , seven o'clock struck and Cornelia began to listen for the shutting of the garden gate , and the sound of Hyde 's step upon the flagged walk . It did not come as soon as she hoped it would , and the minutes went slowly on until eight struck . Then the doctor was glooming and nodding , and waking up and saying a word or two , and relapsing again into semi-unconsciousness . She felt that the favourable hour had passed , and now the minutes went far too quickly .