seven o'clock
He walked about in rather a blustering manner just now , with his straw hat very much on one side , and brandished a stick the gardener had cut for him in an obtrusively warlike fashion . As he was a small thin boy , these airs looked all the more ridiculous , and his sister Nancy was secretly much provoked by them ; however , she said nothing until one evening when Pennie was telling them stories . The children were alone in the schoolroom , for it was holiday time . It was just seven o'clock . Soon Nurse would come and carry off Dickie and David to bed , but at present they were sitting one each side of Pennie on the broad window-seat , listening to her with open ears and mouths . Nancy and Ambrose were opposite on the table , with their legs swinging comfortably backwards and forwards . All day long it had been raining , and now , although it had ceased , the shrubs and trees , overladen with moisture , kept up a constant drip , drip , drip , which was almost as bad .