three o'clock
A newspaper lay close by and the loose leaves fluttered now and then , but she did not notice that it was in some danger of blowing away . She had been occupied since early morning , but was not quite asleep , for she was vaguely conscious of a rhythmic drumming . By and by she raised her head with a jerk and glanced at the watch on her wrist . It was three o'clock and she had been dozing for an hour . Then the drumming fixed her attention and she saw a rig lurch along the uneven trail . The horses were trotting fast and there were two people in the light wagon . Helen saw that one was Charnock .