nine o'clock
But now everything was easy . His dear old uncle had left him a riding-horse , and some books . He had only to move these to Emily 's house , and so without trouble enter another home . It was not yet nine o'clock when Valentine entered the dining-room in his brother 's house . The gloom was over , the sun had burst forth , lumps of snow , shining in the dazzle of early sunlight , were falling with a dull thud from the trees , while every smaller particle dislodged by a waft of air , dropped with a flash as of a diamond . First Mrs. Henfrey came in and looked surprised to see Valentine ; wondered he had left John ; had never seen a man so overcome at his father 's funeral . Then Giles came in with some purple and some orange crocuses , which he laid upon his wife 's plate .