a quarter past four
When Robert Audley awoke he was surprised to see the fishing-rod lying on the bank , the line trailing idly in the water , and the float bobbing harmlessly up and down in the afternoon sunshine . The young barrister was a long time stretching his arms and legs in various directions to convince himself , by means of such exercise , that he still retained the proper use of those members ; then , with a mighty effort , he contrived to rise from the grass , and having deliberately folded his railway rug into a convenient shape for carrying over his shoulder , he strolled away to look for George Talboys . Once or twice he gave a sleepy shout , scarcely loud enough to scare the birds in the branches above his head , or the trout in the stream at his feet : but receiving no answer , grew tired of the exertion , and dawdled on , yawning as he went , and still looking for George Talboys . By-and-by he took out his watch , and was surprised to find that it was a quarter past four . `` Why , the selfish beggar must have gone home to his dinner ! '' he muttered , reflectively ; `` and yet that is n't much like him , for he seldom remembers even his meals unless I jog his memory . '' Even a good appetite , and the knowledge that his dinner would very likely suffer by this delay , could not quicken Mr. Robert Audley 's constitutional dawdle , and by the time he strolled in at the front door of the Sun , the clocks were striking five .