about six o'clock
His wife was a little , placid lady , whose bodily vigor and any resolution of character she might once have possessed had apparently evaporated under the Indian sun , and , as far as Weston had noticed , she invariably agreed with whatever was said . When he waited on them at supper their talk was of the easier ascents in Switzerland , and in the mountains of his own land , whose names rang like music in his ears -- the Striding Edge , the Great Gable Needle , and Saddleback Crags . The Needle was certainly difficult to climb , but the Striding Edge on a still day was a secure promenade compared with some of the ledges along which he had seen western prospectors struggle with a month 's supplies . Supper , which as usual was prepared about six o'clock , had been over an hour or two , when , after waiting for an opportunity , he found Ida alone beside the lake . `` Ca n't you persuade these people not to go , Miss Stirling ? '' he asked . The girl smiled .