half past four
I hope your public spirit will be appreciated by Indian Spring at least -- if it is n't by those two men . '' `` You lay low and keep dark and you 'll see , '' returned his companion with a hopefulness of speech which his somewhat anxious eagerness however did not quite bear out . `` But you 're not goin ' yet , surely , '' he added , as the master again absently consulted his watch . `` It 's on ' y half past four . It 's true thar ai n't any more to tell , '' he added simply , `` but I had an idea that you might hev took to this yer little story of mine more than you ` pear to be , and might be askin ' questions and kinder bedevlin ' me with jokes ez to what I was goin ' to do -- and all that . But p ` raps it do n't seem so wonderful to you arter all . Come to think of it -- squarely now , '' he said , with a singular despondency , `` I 'm rather sick of it myself -- eh ? ''