three in the afternoon
Pink heather , -- true , genuine , actual pink heather , such as Donald had not seen for many a year . No wonder the eyes of the captain of the `` Heather Bell '' followed that spray of pink heather wherever it went flitting about from place to place , never long in one , -- for it was now time for dinner , and Donald and the old people were soon seated at a small table by themselves , not to embarrass the young girls , and Elspie and Katie together served the dinner ; and though Elspie never once came to the small table , yet did Donald see every motion she made and hear every note of her lark 's voice . He did not mistake what had happened to him . Middle-aged , inexperienced , sober-souled man as he was , he knew that at last he had got a wound , -- a life wound , if it were not healed , -- and the consciousness of it struck him more and more dumb , till his presence was like a damper on the festivities ; so much so , that when at three in the afternoon he and Katie took their departure , the door had no more than closed on them before Elspie exclaimed pettishly : `` An ' indeed I wish Katie 'd left Cousin Donald behind . I do n't know what it is she thinks so much of him for . She 's always sayin ' there 's none like him ; an ' it 's lucky it 's true . The great glowerin ' steeple o ' a man , with no word in his mouth ! ''