half after
five
Something would stay her feet . With wide-open eyes on this Midsummer morning she lay , as she had lain the night before , regarding without attention the early sunlight flooding the room where moonlight had lain a few hours ago . Her bare , round arms , from which picturesque apologies for sleeves fell back , were thrown wide upon her pillows , her white throat and shoulders gleamed below the loose masses of her hair , her heart was beating a trifle more rapidly than was natural after a night of repose . It was very early , as a little clock upon a desk announced -- half after five . Yet some one in the house was up , for Roberta heard a light footfall outside her door . There followed a soft sound which drew her eyes that way ; she saw something white appear beneath the door -- in the old house the sills were not tight . The white rectangle was obviously a letter .