nine o'clock
It was Julius 's rabbit 's foot . It was a rainy day at the vineyard . The morning had dawned bright and clear . But the sky had soon clouded , and by nine o'clock there was a light shower , followed by others at brief intervals . By noon the rain had settled into a dull , steady downpour . The clouds hung low , and seemed to grow denser instead of lighter as they discharged their watery burden , and there was now and then a muttering of distant thunder . Outdoor work was suspended , and I spent most of the day at the house , looking over my accounts and bringing up some arrears of correspondence .