Does 'In about a quarter of an hour the bell rang, and Tuppence repaired to the hall to show the visitor out.' hold a position of neutrality in relation to 'After 15 minutes, nothing happened and Tuppence and the visitor decided that it was time to eat some lunch. '
In about a quarter of an hour the bell rang, and Tuppence repaired to the hall to show the visitor out.###After 15 minutes, nothing happened and Tuppence and the visitor decided that it was time to eat some lunch. 