four o'clock
The next day there came another to Julia , one who knew nothing of what had befallen in these last days . It was almost twilight when he came ; Johnny had gone out to collect fir-cones ; Julia sent him , partly because their stock was low and partly because she thought it would do him good . She did not expect him back much before five o'clock ; it would be dark by then certainly , but not very dark for the day was clear , with a touch of frost in the air ; one of those days when the last of the sunset burns low down in the sky long after the stars are out . It was not much after four o'clock when Julia heard something approaching , certainly not Johnny nor anything connected with him , for it was the throb of a motor coming fast . Only once before since she had been at the cottage had she heard that sound on the lonely road , on the day when Rawson-Clew came . It could not be him now , she was sure of that . He might have received the money this morning certainly , but he would not come because of that , rather he would keep away ; there was no reason why he should come .