nearly four o'clock
She turned her face to his . `` There is no answer to that , '' he said ; `` but we can help them a little . '' To the woman in charge they gave what they could afford to give , and turned toward home . It was nearly four o'clock , and Mrs. Maitland might be growing anxious about their safety . They walked forward in a silence which neither wished to break . It was soon broken , however , by a chance occurrence . They were passing by an open street on the edge of the burned district .