four o'clock
They had but two measures of time -- the clepsydra , or water-clock , and the sun-dial . When a man had neither of these , he employed all kinds of ingenious expedients for guessing what time it was , if the day were cloudy and the sun not to be seen . King Alfred had invented the plan , long before , of having candles to burn a certain time ; the monks knew how long it took to repeat certain psalms . Mrs De la Laund stopped work when the cathedral bell tolled for vespers -- that is , at four o'clock . `` You look tired , Antigone , '' said Emma to her nearest neighbour , a pale girl of eighteen . `` Tired ? Of course I 'm tired , '' was the unpromising answer .