half past nine o'clock
She found this impossible . Although the weather was warm the window was tightly shut and a thick curtain was drawn across it . Josie slipped over to the river bank and in the shadow of a tree sat herself down to watch and wait with such patience as she could muster . It was half past nine o'clock , and Ingua had told her that when her grandfather was wakeful , and indulged in his long walks , he usually left the house between ten o'clock and midnight -- seldom earlier and never later . He would go to bed , the child said , and finding he could not sleep , would again dress and go out into the night , only to return at early morning . Josie doubted that he ever undressed on such occasions , knowing , as he no doubt did , perfectly well what his program for the night would be . She had decided that the nocturnal excursions were not due to insomnia but were carefully planned to avoid possible observation .