eight o'clock
He remembered feeling that he should not have left her that evening . It had been a premonition , and this was to be the price of his folly . At three in the morning he went over to rouse the doctor , all the time thinking that , even if he were capable of forgiving himself for Phoebe 's death , Nellie would always hold him responsible . The doctor refused to come before eight o'clock , and slammed the door in the disturber 's face . `` If she dies , '' he said to himself over and over again as he trudged homeward , `` I 'll kill that beast of a doctor . I 'll tear his heart out . '' The doctor did not come till nine-thirty .