seven o'clock
She walked on past the gardens , across the Ring , and rejoiced in the humid fragrance of the elder-trees . In the forenoon it had completely escaped her notice that everything was beautiful in an array of violet blossoms . An idea brought a smile to her lips : she went into a flower shop and bought a little bunch of violets . As she raised the flowers to her lips , a great tenderness came over her ; she thought of the train going homewards at seven o'clock , and she rejoiced , as if she had outwitted some one . She walked slowly across the bridge , diagonally , and remembered how she had crossed it a few days ago in order to reach the neighbourhood of her former home , and to see Emil 's window again . The throng of traffic at the bridge was immense ; two streams , one coming from the suburb into the town , the other going in the opposite direction , poured by in confusion ; carriages of all kinds rolled past ; the air resounded with the jingling of bells , with whistling and with the shouts of drivers . Bertha tried to stand still , but was pushed forward .