four
o'clock
Her thoughts went grinding on , crushing the hard rock of circumstance , but incapable of picking out the grains of gold therein . Later siftings might discover them , but she was reasoning now under too great human pressure for delicate analysis . She saw the planets set and the night-mist cloak the valley . By four o'clock daybreak had put out the stars . She went to her room then and fell asleep , awakening after the heat had begun , when the house was again darkened for the day 's siege . She was still postponing , wandering through the darkened rooms , peering into closets and bureau drawers to see , from force of habit , how Ito discharged his trust . At luncheon she asked her husband if he had written .