three in the afternoon
But this mattered nothing ; she had a day 's work indoors before her . She spent the morning in unpacking the stores , which had arrived late overnight from the ferry , and in putting a hundred small touches to her bedroom and sitting-room , to make them more habitable . By noon she had finished the unpacking , and dismissed the two grooms to make their way back to Boston and report that all was well with her . It rained until three in the afternoon ; and then , the weather clearing , she saddled Madcap with her own hands and rode to the edge of the forest . Little light remained when she reached its outskirts , and she peered curiously between the dim boles for a few minutes before turning for her homeward ride . She had brought a beautiful scheme in her head , and the forest was concerned in it ; but for the moment , in this twilight , the forest daunted her . She had -- for she differed from most maidens -- left her lover to arrange all the business of the marriage ceremony , stipulating only that it must be private .