eight o'clock
Not only must Bassett be forever put down , but Thatcher also ; and he assured himself that it was not the men he despised , but the wretched , brutal mediæval system that survived in them . And so pondering , it was no wonder that Dan brought no joy to John Ware 's library that night . The minister himself seemed unwontedly preoccupied ; Sylvia stared at the fire as though seeking in the flames answers to unanswerable questions . Mrs. Ware sought vainly to bring cheer to the company : Shortly after eight o'clock , Sylvia rose to leave . `` Aunt Sally got home from Kentucky this afternoon , and I must drop in for a minute , Dan , if you do n't mind . '' Sylvia hardly spoke on the way to Mrs. Owen 's . Since that night on the lake she had never been the same , or so it seemed to Dan .