noon
On the Friday following the Wednesday of Melbury 's departure , and the day after the discovery of Fitzpiers 's hat , the cuckoo began at two o'clock in the morning with a sudden cry from one of Melbury 's apple-trees , not three yards from the window of Grace 's room . `` Oh , he is coming ! '' she cried , and in her terror sprang clean from the bed out upon the floor . These starts and frights continued till noon ; and when the doctor had arrived and had seen her , and had talked with Mrs. Melbury , he sat down and meditated . That ever-present terror it was indispensable to remove from her mind at all hazards ; and he thought how this might be done . Without saying a word to anybody in the house , or to the disquieted Winterborne waiting in the lane below , Dr. Jones went home and wrote to Mr. Melbury at the London address he had obtained from his wife . The gist of his communication was that Mrs. Fitzpiers should be assured as soon as possible that steps were being taken to sever the bond which was becoming a torture to her ; that she would soon be free , and was even then virtually so .