two o’clock
Although he was not broad-shouldered , his short school jacket of green cloth with black buttons must have been tight about the arm-holes , and showed at the opening of the cuffs red wrists accustomed to being bare . His legs , in blue stockings , looked out from beneath yellow trousers , drawn tight by braces , He wore stout , ill-cleaned , hob-nailed boots . We began repeating the lesson . He listened with all his ears , as attentive as if at a sermon , not daring even to cross his legs or lean on his elbow ; and when at two o'clock the bell rang , the master was obliged to tell him to fall into line with the rest of us . When we came back to work , we were in the habit of throwing our caps on the ground so as to have our hands more free ; we used from the door to toss them under the form , so that they hit against the wall and made a lot of dust : it was `` the thing . '' But , whether he had not noticed the trick , or did not dare to attempt it , the `` new fellow , '' was still holding his cap on his knees even after prayers were over . It was one of those head-gears of composite order , in which we can find traces of the bearskin , shako , billycock hat , sealskin cap , and cotton night-cap ; one of those poor things , in fine , whose dumb ugliness has depths of expression , like an imbecile 's face .