nearly
noon
`` Remember this -- you 'll never see them again , except through me , '' he said , malevolently . The next morning Bessie was doomed to be disappointed . She had looked forward confidently to seeing Zara 's father , and had come to believe that there was a good chance for her to clear away some of the mystery that hung so heavily over Zara 's affairs , even though she made no great progress toward straightening out her own confused ideas regarding herself and the reason for the disappearance of her parents . But , instead of the telephone call to Jamieson 's office , for which she had waited with poorly concealed impatience from breakfast until nearly noon , she had a visit from Jamieson himself . The lawyer looked discouraged . `` Bad news , Bessie , '' he said , as soon as he saw her . She was waiting for him on the porch , and her eyes lighted with eagerness as soon as she saw him coming .