three in the morning
And later , as they were nearing home , Molly 's hardly-bought philosophy of life revealed itself in the brief comment : `` It 's very easy to make a fool of oneself . '' `` Probably Mr. Kent has found that out -- by this time , '' replied Sara with a grim flash of humour . A faint , involuntary chuckle in response premised that ultimately Molly might be able to take a less despondent view of the night 's proceedings . It was between two and three in the morning when at length the travelers climbed stiffly out of the car at the gateway of Sunnyside and made their way up the little tiled path that led to the front door . The latter opened noiselessly at their approach and Jane , who had evidently been watching for them , stood on the threshold . Her small , beady eyes were red-rimmed with sleeplessness -- and with the slow , difficult tears that now and again had overflowed as hour after hour crawled by , bringing no sign of the wanderers ' return -- and the shadows of fatigue that had hollowed her weather-beaten cheeks wrung a sympathetic pang from Sara 's heart as she realized what those long , inactive hours of helpless anxiety must have meant to the faithful soul . Jane 's glance flew to the drooping , willowy figure clinging to Garth 's arm .