noon
Now here am I upon Shakespeare -LRB- who died , of his own fruition , at the age of fifty-two , yet lived more than fifty thousand men , within his little span of life -RRB- , when all the while I ought to be riding as hard as I can to Dulverton . But , to tell the truth , I could not ride hard , being held at every turn , and often without any turn at all , by the beauty of things around me . These things grow upon a man if once he stops to notice them . It wanted yet two hours to noon , when I came to Master Huckaback 's door , and struck the panels smartly . Knowing nothing of their manners , only that people in a town could not be expected to entertain -LRB- as we do in farm-houses -RRB- , having , moreover , keen expectation of Master Huckaback 's avarice , I had brought some stuff to eat , made by Annie , and packed by Lorna , and requiring no thinking about it . Ruth herself came and let me in , blushing very heartily ; for which colour I praised her health , and my praises heightened it . That little thing had lovely eyes , and could be trusted thoroughly .