About five o'clock
In contemplation of its lofty glass and aluminium-cased pipes the feeling of soreness left her . It was very pleasant , standing with Gerald , looking at what they had planned together ; there was a soothing sense of reality about that visit , after the morning 's happening , with its disappointment , its reminder of immorality and discontent , and of folk ungrateful for what was done for their good . And , squeezing her husband 's arm , she murmured : `` It 's really exactly what we thought it would be , Gerald ! '' About five o'clock of that same afternoon , Gerald Malloring went to see Tod . An open-air man himself , who often deplored the long hours he was compelled to spend in the special atmosphere of the House of Commons , he rather envied Tod his existence in this cottage , crazed from age , and clothed with wistaria , rambler roses , sweetbrier , honeysuckle , and Virginia creeper . Freeland had , in his opinion , quite a jolly life of it -- the poor fellow not being able , of course , to help having a cranky wife and children like that . He pondered , as he went along , over a talk at Becket , when Stanley , still under the influence of Felix 's outburst , had uttered some rather queer sayings .