four
o'clock
They were at the gate of the little cottage , overlooking the valley . The gleam of sunlight had faded and the fog curtain rolled back . The house did indeed seem very dark as they entered . It was only a little after four o'clock , but the cloudy twilight of a short November day was suddenly descending upon them . The schoolmistress looked shyly around , while Arnold tramped about the rooms and sprung the shades up as high as they would go . They were in a small , irregular parlor , wainscoted and floored in redwood , and lightly furnished with bamboo . This room communicated by a low arch with the dining-room beyond .