About nine o'clock
They were passin ' Dunscale village , a n't ' folks coom runnin ' oot o ' houses t ' see 'em go past -- ' He led the cart away towards the stable , leaving her to cry the remainder after him across the yard . Half-an-hour later he came in for his dinner . During the meal not a word passed between them , and directly he had finished he strode out of the house . About nine o'clock he returned , lit his pipe , and sat down to smoke it over the kitchen fire . ` Where 've ye bin , Tony ? ' she asked . ` Oop t ' vicarage , courtin ' , he retorted defiantly , with his pipe in his mouth .