three
o'clock
Richard still brought me books , still arranged things for me with my uncle -LRB- as in the matter of going to church alone -RRB- , but we had no more talks together by ourselves , and he never asked me to go anywhere with him . At Christmas he sent me beautiful flowers , and a picture for my room . Sophie I rarely saw , and only longed never to see Benny was permitted to come and spend a day with me , at great intervals , and I enjoyed him more than his mother or his uncle . One day my uncle went down to his office in his usual health ; at three o'clock he was brought home senseless , and only lived till midnight , dying without recovering speech or consciousness . It was a sudden seizure , but what everybody had expected ; everybody was shocked for the moment , and then wondered that they were . It was very appalling to me ; I was so unhappy , I almost believed I loved him , and I certainly mourned for him with simplicity and affection . The preparations for the funeral were so frightful , and all the thoughts it brought so unnerving , that I was almost ill .