five o'clock
` A cat could n't have made such a noise , and there 's not a dog about the place , ' she said . `` I listened with great interest -- but Mary 's thoughts were otherwise engaged . There was not a doubt that the snow-storm , instead of going off , was increasing in severity . We drank our tea and ate our sandwiches , and put off our time as well as we could till five o'clock . It was now of course perfectly dark but for the light of the fire . We were glad when our friend from the lodge returned with a couple of tallow candles , blaming herself for having forgotten them . '' ` I really do n't know what we should do , ' said Mary to her .