nine
o'clock
... If she but had some right , even , some standing from which to speak ... . And here her new resolve was that when she saw Dr. Vivian at the Settlement next week , she would consult him directly : now asking him to say , not that she had no responsibilities about her father 's business , but that she had them in abundance . But deeper than this , beneath all the flutterings of her mind , there ran the increasing sense that , whatever the logic of it might be , responsibility was on her nevertheless : the supreme responsibility put upon free beings by the trust of a friend ... * * * * * Hugo , it was presumable , would be detained with his Mr. Deming until the latter 's departure , or near it . He could hardly appear before nine o'clock , or even nine-thirty ; and perhaps he might not come at all . Cally had felt unable to agree with her mother 's theory that she was required to sit awaiting Hugo 's convenience there . At all events , she had early resolved to settle the point by definitely `` retiring '' before his possible arrival ; relying upon a worse aching head to justify her with mamma , who was not of the few to be favored with fuller confidences . But a little after eight , when this resolve was almost ready to shape into the deed , the sensible reasoning on which it was based was suddenly upset .