three o'clock
Even Adam Vedder delighted all , and especially his happy-looking bride , by his clever condensation of Sunna 's favourite story of `` The Banded Men . '' No finished actor could have made it , in its own way , a finer model of dramatic narrative , especially in its quaint reversal of the parts usually played by father and son , into those of the prodigal father and the money-loving , prudent son . Then a little whisper went round the table and it sprang from Sunna , and people smiled and remembered that Adam had won his wife from three younger men than himself and , as if by a single , solid impulse , they stirred their wine cups once more and called for a cheer for the old bridegroom , who had been faithful for forty years to his first love and had then walked off with her , from Provost , Lawyer and Minister ; all of them twenty years younger than himself . Getting near to three o'clock , they began to sing and Rahal was pleased to hear that sound of peace , for several guests were just from the battlefield and quite as ready for a quarrel as a song . Also during the little confusion of removing fruit and cake and glasses , and the substitution of the cups and saucers and the strong , hot , sweet tea that every Norseman loves , Ian and Thora slipped away without notice . Max Grant 's carriage put them in half-an-hour on the threshold of their own home . They crossed it hand and hand and Ian kissed the hand he held and Thora raised her face in answer ; but words have not yet been invented that can speak for such perfect happiness .