noon
Last year he had said good-bye to Derby Grammar School -- of old my lord Bishop Durdant 's foundation -- situated in St. Peter 's churchyard . Here he had done the right and usual things ; he had learned his grammar ; he had fought ; he had been chastised ; he had robed the effigy of his pious founder in a patched doublet with a saucepan on his head -LRB- but that had been done before he had learned veneration -RRB- -- and so had gone home again to Matstead , proficient in Latin , English , history , writing , good manners and chess , to live with his father , to hunt , to hear mass when a priest was within reasonable distance , to indite painful letters now and then on matters of the estate , and to learn how to bear himself generally as should one of Master 's rank -- the son of a gentleman who bore arms , and his father 's father before him . He dined at twelve , he supped at six , he said his prayers , and blessed himself when no strangers were by . He was something of a herbalist , as a sheer hobby of his own ; he went to feed his falcons in the morning , he rode with them after dinner -LRB- from last August he had found himself riding north more often than south , since Marjorie lived in that quarter -RRB- ; and now all had been crowned last Christmas Eve , when in the enclosed garden at her house he had kissed her two hands suddenly , and made her a little speech he had learned by heart ; after which he kissed her on the lips as a man should , in the honest noon sunlight . All this was as it should be . There were no doubts or disasters anywhere . Marjorie was an only daughter as he an only son .