nearly five o’clock
She knew that `` he was not there , '' as she put it . Often , when she had him with her , she looked for him , and could not find him . But this afternoon she was not prepared . It was nearly five o'clock when he told her . They were sitting on the bank of a stream , where the lip of turf hung over a hollow bank of yellow earth , and he was hacking away with a stick , as he did when he was perturbed and cruel . `` I have been thinking , '' he said , `` we ought to break off . '' `` Why ? ''