three o'clock in the afternoon
From Brives to Fleur another train would take us , and the rest of our journey would have to be accomplished by _ diligence _ . It was cold , bitterly cold , and I saw mother 's eyes look apprehensively up to the leaden sky . I knew she was fearing a heavy fall of snow which might interrupt our journey . We reached Fleur at three o'clock in the afternoon , and took the _ diligence _ that was awaiting the train . Then what mother feared took place . Snow began to fall -- heavy snow , and the horses in the _ diligence _ began to labour after only one hour 's storm . Mother 's face grew paler and paler .