six o’clock
In the garden the dahlias were still in full splendour , and the perfume of the mignonette rose from the borders of the flower beds . A few bees still visited the dying calyces but returned disappointed to their hives . The fishing boats sailed up the Sound before a faint breeze , and in tacking the sails fluttered and the sheets shook ; the startled seagulls rose into the air screaming , and circled round the fishermen who were fishing from their boats for small herring . He drank his coffee on the verandah , and began to look out for the steamer which was due at six o'clock . Restlessly , apprehensively , he paced the verandah , anxiously watching fiord and Sound on the side where Stockholm lay , so as to sight the steamer as soon as she came into view . At last a little cloud of smoke showed like a dark patch on the horizon . His heart thumped against his ribs and he drank a liqueur .