five o'clock
It was no use asking Martha what kind of letter it looked , and whether it was from Mr. Holbrook , for the poor ignorant creature can neither read nor write , and one handwriting is the same as another to her . Mrs. Holbrook had told her nothing as to where she was going , only saying that she would be back in an hour or two . Martha let her out at the gate , and watched her take the way towards the river-bank , and , seeing this , made sure she was going to meet her husband . Well , sir , five o'clock struck , and Mrs. Holbrook had not come home . I began to feel seriously uneasy about her . I told my father so ; but he took the matter lightly enough at first , saying it was no business of ours , and that Mrs. Holbrook was just as well able to take care of herself as any one else . But after five o'clock I could n't rest a minute longer ; so I put on my bonnet and shawl and went down by the river-bank , after sending one of the farm-labourers to look for my poor dear in the opposite direction .