four o'clock
The weak spot in that , father says , is that the bullet Rood was shot with is much too small for that revolver . '' I knew there was a far weaker point in the defense than that , and I wondered , in the face of it , how I was ever going to drag my unwilling spirit up into the witness-box . The summons might come at any moment , -- might come now , while we sat talking with our feet in the sun and the cypress shadow cool upon our foreheads . At four o'clock father came stepping out of the conservatory , calling out , `` What young person will give a tired man a cup of tea ? '' Then , noticing my questioning look , `` No summons for us to-day , '' he said ; so I ran in to fetch the tea-table . Tea in the garden was a rare event . The few warm spring days gave the opportunity , and nothing was prettier than the scarlet lacquer tray with the Nankin cups set out under the heliotrope vines .