two o'clock
Miss King gave up the attempt to write , and lay dreamily gazing at the men , roused to active consciousness now and then by the rasp of the hones against the scythe blades . At one o'clock the men , guessing it to be dinnertime , stopped pretending to work and went away . A few minutes later Miss King , feeling the need of luncheon , disentangled herself from the hammock , bundled her papers together , and went into the house . At two o'clock the men , carrying their scythes , returned to the tennis court , which was nearly half mowed . At half-past two Miss King joined them , and climbed as gracefully as she could into the hammock . She brought a book with her this time instead of her manuscript . The afternoon was hotter than the morning had been , and there was a very soothing sound of bees among the branches of the trees .