twelve o'clock
His cheeks flushed , his eyes glittered , he learned as if he actually enjoyed learning . True , as Mr. Cardross soon discovered , his acquirements were not at all in the regular routine of education ; he was greatly at fault in many simple things ; but the amount of heterogeneous and out-of-the-way knowledge which he had gathered up , from all available sources , was quite marvelous . And , above all , to teach a boy unto whom learning seemed a pleasure rather than a torment , a favor instead of a punishment , was such an exceeding and novel delight to the good minister , that soon he forgot the crippled figure -- the helpless hands that sometimes with fingers , sometimes even with teeth , painfully guided the ingeniously cut forked stick , and the thin face that only too often turned white and weary , but quickly looked up , as if struggling against weakness , and concentrating all attention on the work that was to be done . At twelve o'clock Helen came in with her father 's lunch -- a foaming glass of new milk , warm from the cow . The little earl looked at it with eager eyes . `` Will I bring you one too ? '' said Helen .