four o'clock
Alice had brought a basket of sandwiches , and Prince Charlie was furnished with a bag of corn Thomas had stowed away in the sleigh for him ; so they were all well refreshed and rested and warmed before they set off again . From home to Ventnor , Mr. Marshman 's place , was more than thirty miles , and the longest , because the most difficult , part of the way was still before them . Ellen , however , soon became sleepy , from riding in the keen air ; she was content now to have the green veil over her face , and sitting down in the bottom of the sleigh , her head leaning against Alice , and covered well with the buffalo robe , she slept in happy unconsciousness of hill and dale , wind and sun , and all the remaining hours of the way . It was drawing towards four o'clock when Alice with some difficulty roused her to see the approach to the house and get wide awake before they should reach it . They turned from the road and entered by a gateway into some pleasure-grounds , through which a short drive brought them to the house . These grounds were fine , but the wide lawns were a smooth spread of snow now ; the great skeletons of oaks and elms were bare and wintry ; and patches of shrubbery offered little but tufts and bunches of brown twigs and stems . It might have looked dreary , but that some well-grown evergreens were clustered round the house , and others scattered here and there relieved the eye ; a few holly bushes , singly and in groups , proudly displayed their bright dark leaves and red berries ; and one unrivalled hemlock on the west threw its graceful shadow quite across the lawn , on which , as on itself , the white chimney-tops , and the naked branches of oaks and elms , was the faint smile of the afternoon sun .