about seven
o'clock
Poor old Fee ! Well , from day to day papa got more and more ill ; the fever kept right on and he was awfully weak , and at last he fell into a stupor . That day Dr. Archard hardly left our house for even an hour , and the other physicians just went in and out all the time . Max was there , too , -- he almost lived at our house those weeks , taking all the night watching they 'd let him , and doing all he could for papa and us , -- and about seven o'clock that evening he came up to the schoolroom , where we older ones were . Dr. Archard had told Phil , and he had told us , that a change would come very soon , -- papa would either pass from that stupor into a sleep which might save his life , or he would go away from us , as our dear mother had gone . No one of us was allowed to stay in the sick-room but Nannie , and she had promised to let us know the minute the change came ; so we five and Max were waiting in the schoolroom , longing and yet just dreading what Nannie might have to tell us . It was a glorious afternoon : the sun had just gone down , and from where we sat -- close together -- we could see through the windows the sky , all rose-colour and gold , with long streaks here and there of the most exquisite pale blue and green ; and soft , white , fleecy clouds that kept changing their shape every minute .