four o'clock
Ulrich , being alone , remained in bed until ten o'clock . He was of a sleepy nature , but would not have dared to give way like that to his inclination in the presence of the old guide , who was ever an early riser . He breakfasted leisurely with Sam , who also spent his days and nights in sleeping in front of the fire ; then he felt low-spirited and even frightened at the solitude , and was seized by a longing for his daily game of cards , as one is by the domination of an invincible habit . So he went out to meet his companion , who was to return at four o'clock . The snow had leveled the whole deep valley , filled up the crevasses , obliterated all signs of the two lakes and covered the rocks , so that between the high summits there was nothing but an immense , white , regular , dazzling , and frozen surface . For three weeks , Ulrich had not been to the edge of the precipice , from which he had looked down on to the village , and he wanted to go there before climbing the slopes which led to the Wildstrubel . Loeche was now covered by the snow , and the houses could scarcely be distinguished , hidden as they were by that white cloak .