four o'clock
Avis piled up a pillow of sand , and closed her eyes complacently , until she found Winnie was tickling the end of her nose with a piece of seaweed ; Enid lay curled up under the shadow of a rock , looking at her watch every few minutes ; and Jean and Patty played a silent game of noughts and crosses on slabs of smooth stone . The moment the half-hour was finished the girls sprang up , and commenced to chatter with renewed avidity , showing in their own lively fashion that they were not yet tired , however they might feel by the end of the day . The classes separated during the afternoon , some going for walks on the headland , and others strolling farther along the beach , searching for cockles on the sandbank , or throwing stones at a mark . They all met at four o'clock for tea at the small hotel on the edge of the cliff , where tables and forms had been set out in the garden , and the innkeeper and his wife and two daughters were busily bustling about , carrying plates of cakes and buns , jugs of milk , and trays full of cups and saucers , to meet the requirements of their army of young guests . It was a merry meal , for everybody was full of jokes and fun . Miss Harper told amusing stories , and Miss Lincoln asked riddles , and Miss Rowe forgot she was keeping order , and chatted almost like one of the girls themselves . `` I could sit here all afternoon , '' said Enid , `` just watching the sea and the boats and the people down on the shore below .