nearly five o'clock
`` It 's a lovely afternoon , '' she said to Mrs. Lewson . `` Let us take a walk along the road , and meet Arthur . '' To this proposal the housekeeper readily agreed . It was nearly five o'clock when they reached a place at which a by-road branched off , through a wood , from the highway which they had hitherto followed . Mrs. Lewson found a seat on a felled tree . `` We had better not go any farther , '' she said . Iris asked if there was any reason for this .