two o'clock
Soon after his departure , Mrs. Peter Downs and an intimate acquaintance discussed the ever-exciting subject of the Knowles robbery over a friendly cup of tea . They were in the Downs kitchen , and quite by themselves . Peter Downs himself had been drawn as a juror , and had been for two days at the county town . Mrs. Downs was giving herself to social interests in his absence , and Mrs. Forder , an asthmatic but very companionable person , had arrived by two o'clock that afternoon with her knitting work , sure of being welcome . The two old friends had first talked over varied subjects of immediate concern , but when supper was nearly finished , they fell back upon the lost Knowles gold , as has been already said . `` They got a dreadful blow , poor gals , '' wheezed Mrs. Forder , with compassion . '' ' T was harder for them than for most folks ; they 'd had a long stent with the ol' gentleman ; very arbitrary , very arbitrary . ''