four o'clock
But old Ben Westerveld did n't know that . What should a retired and well-to-do farmer of fifty-eight know of nerves , especially when he has moved to the city and is taking it easy ? If only he knew what time it was . Here in Chicago you could n't tell whether it was four o'clock or seven unless you looked at your watch . To do that it was necessary to turn on the light . And to turn on the light meant that he would turn on , too , a flood of querulous protest from his wife , Bella , who lay asleep beside him . When for forty-five years of your life you have risen at four-thirty daily , it is difficult to learn to loll .