afternoon, about four o'clock
She seemed about to reply , but shrugged her shoulders instead and went back into the house , carrying her tray . The man turned on his heel , walked hurriedly up the garden , and scrambled over its hedge into the wood . His veil and thick gloves were explained a couple of hours later , when I looked into the garden again and saw him hiving a swarm of bees that he had captured , the first of the season . That same afternoon , about four o'clock , I observed that every window in the next house stood wide open . My landlady was out in the garden , `` picking in '' her week 's washing from the thorn hedge where it had been suspended to dry ; and I called her attention to this new freak of our neighbours . `` Ah , then , the poor soul must be nigh to her end , '' said she . `` That 's done to give her an easy death . ''