three o'clock
Kitty , being the eldest , was chosen to go in and order the tea , while the others hung over the gate and sniffed in the mingled perfume of the roses , the pinks , and all the other sweet-scented flowers with which the little garden was stocked . Across the garden , in the hedge , was another gate through which they could see a steep sunny field stretching away down to the river bank , which was steeper here and higher , with old gnarled trees growing out of it , their large roots so exposed that one wondered how they managed to draw sustenance enough from the ground to support the great trunks and spreading branches . `` I have ordered ham and eggs , and cream , and jam , and cake , '' said Kitty , as she rejoined them , `` and it will all be ready in an hour . It is three o'clock now . '' `` Only three ! '' sighed Dan in mock despair . `` One whole hour to wait !