one o'clock
I began bitterly to regret that I had been obliged to present my cousin to her so abruptly . I wished it had occurred to me to give him a word or two of caution , or that I had had sense enough to adhere to my first plan of letting him feed himself at the little oyster establishment round the corner . But wishes and regrets could not now mend the matter ; so I hailed an approaching horse-car , and comforted myself on the rear platform with the reflection that perhaps the colonel would not wave the palmetto leaf too vigorously , if he waved it at all , in the face of Mrs. Wesley . The awkwardness of the situation disturbed me more or less during the forenoon ; but fortunately it was a half-holiday , and I was able to leave the office shortly after one o'clock . I do not know how I came to work myself into such a state of mind on the way up town , but as I stepped from the horse-car and turned into Clinton Place I had a strong apprehension that I should find some unpleasant change in the facial aspect of the little red brick building I occupied -- a scowl , for instance , on the brown-stone eyebrow over the front door . I actually had a feeling of relief when I saw that the facade presented its usual unaggressive appearance . As I entered the hall , Mrs. Wesley , who had heard my pass-key grating in the lock , was coming down-stairs .