twelve o'clock
When he was finally gone -- and sometimes it was a long time first -- she returned to the schoolroom to Miss Monro , and tried to set herself hard at work on her lessons . But she had not much time for steady application ; if her father had cared for her progress in anything , she would and could have worked hard at that study or accomplishment ; but Mr. Wilkins , the ease and pleasure loving man , did not wish to make himself into the pedagogue , as he would have considered it , if he had ever questioned Ellinor with a real steady purpose of ascertaining her intellectual progress . It was quite enough for him that her general intelligence and variety of desultory and miscellaneous reading made her a pleasant and agreeable companion for his hours of relaxation . At twelve o'clock , Ellinor put away her books with joyful eagerness , kissed Miss Monro , asked her if they should go a regular walk , and was always rather thankful when it was decided that it would be better to stroll in the garden -- a decision very often come to , for Miss Monro hated fatigue , hated dirt , hated scrambling , and dreaded rain ; all of which are evils , the chances of which are never far distant from country walks . So Ellinor danced out into the garden , worked away among her flowers , played at the old games among the roots of the trees , and , when she could , seduced Dixon into the flower-garden to have a little consultation as to the horses and dogs . For it was one of her father 's few strict rules that Ellinor was never to go into the stable-yard unless he were with her ; so these _ tete-a-tetes _ with Dixon were always held in the flower - garden , or bit of forest ground surrounding it . Miss Monro sat and basked in the sun , close to the dial , which made the centre of the gay flower-beds , upon which the dining-room and study windows looked .