nine o'clock
It was cool in the shade of the woods ; grass and moss were a little moist with dew . He did not linger under the trees ; he needed movement ; and striding along the driving-road , which ran down the hill where the incline was easiest , he went out on the plains , among the little villages that dotted the level land like huge clumps of mushrooms . He carried his cap in his hand , and let the early sun play on his head . When he returned , it was nine o'clock , and he was ravenously hungry . Amalie carried the coffee and the crisp brown rolls to one of the small tables on the terrace , and herself stood , after she had served him , and looked over the edge of the hill . When he had finished eating , he opened a volume of DICHTUNG UND WAHRHEIT , which he carried in his pocket , and began to read . But after a few lines , his thoughts wandered ; the book had a chilling effect on him in his present mood ; the writing seemed stiff and strained -- the work of a very old man .