five o'clock
To give them some form of exercise they were assembled in the gymnasium , and held rival displays of Indian clubs , Morris dancing , or even skipping . `` The True Blues '' excelled at high jumping , `` The Pioneers '' at certain rigid balancing feats , `` The Old Brigade '' were great at vaulting , and `` The Amazons '' and `` The Mermaids '' performed marvels in the way of Swedish Boom exercises . Still , everybody agreed that though the contests were fun in their way they were not hockey , and the girls would much have preferred the playing-fields , however wet , to the gymnasium . The girls in the hostel had the hour between four and five o'clock at their own disposal . They were not allowed to leave the College bounds , but they might amuse themselves as they pleased in the garden , playground , or gymnasium . In turns , according to the practising list , they had to devote the time to the piano , and a few even began their prep. , though this was not greatly encouraged by Miss Burd , who thought a short brain rest advisable . One afternoon Ingred walked along the corridor with a big pile of music in her arms .