noon
As it was now past noon , O'Connor made me promise to remain with him to dinner ; and we sat down a party of three , all in high spirits at the termination of our anxieties . It is necessary to mention , for the purpose of accounting for what follows , that Mrs. O'Connor , or , as she was more euphoniously styled , the lady of Castle Connor , was precluded by ill-health from taking her place at the dinner-table , and , indeed , seldom left her room before four o'clock . -LRB- 4 -RRB- We were sitting after dinner sipping our claret , and talking , and laughing , and enjoying ourselves exceedingly , when a servant , stepping into the room , informed his master that a gentleman wanted to speak with him . -LRB- 4 -RRB- It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader , that at the period spoken of , the important hour of dinner occurred very nearly at noon . ` Request him , with my compliments , to walk in , ' said O'Connor ; and in a few moments a gentleman entered the room . His appearance was anything but prepossessing . He was a little above the middle size , spare , and raw-boned ; his face very red , his features sharp and bluish , and his age might be about sixty .