twelve o'clock before
Such , in brief , was Joseph 's story . On their return route , the boys were careful to avoid passing by the cellar from which Joseph had stolen the nuts . With all his pluck and bravery , he did not care about meeting the man whose displeasure he had excited a few hours before . It was twelve o'clock before the boys reached the hotel . Oscar , during the latter part of the walk , had been unusually silent . He was thinking how he should manage to conceal his truancy , but he could not hit upon any satisfactory plan . The more he reflected upon the matter , the more he was troubled and perplexed about it .