nearly four o'clock before
She was gone to Sloman 's End , a hamlet about three miles off , over the hill , the old woman told him -- had set off directly after morning chapel , to preach in a cottage there , as her habit was . Anybody at the town would tell him the way to Sloman 's End . So Adam got on his horse again and rode to the town , putting up at the old inn and taking a hasty dinner there in the company of the too chatty landlord , from whose friendly questions and reminiscences he was glad to escape as soon as possible and set out towards Sloman 's End . With all his haste it was nearly four o'clock before he could set off , and he thought that as Dinah had gone so early , she would perhaps already be near returning . The little , grey , desolate-looking hamlet , unscreened by sheltering trees , lay in sight long before he reached it , and as he came near he could hear the sound of voices singing a hymn . `` Perhaps that 's the last hymn before they come away , '' Adam thought . `` I 'll walk back a bit and turn again to meet her , farther off the village . ''