half past four
And Rose , in an agony because she could n't understand it , was reminded , grotesquely enough , of the Gentleman of France , or some other of the sword-and-cloak heroes of her girlhood , defending the head of the stairway against the simultaneous assault of half a dozen enemies . And then suddenly it was over . The judges settled back again , the argument went on . At half past four , the oldest judge , who sat in the middle , interrupted again to tell Rodney , with what seemed to Rose brutally bad manners , what time it was . `` If you can finish your argument in fifteen minutes , Mr. Aldrich , we 'll hear you out . If it 's going to take longer than that , the Court will adjourn till to-morrow morning . '' `` I do n't think I shall want more than fifteen minutes , '' said Rodney , and he went on again .