about six o'clock
And why not ? Was he not young , and a free man ? How delightful was this solitude after the noise and smoke of the mess-room ! It was now about six o'clock , and a heavenly June evening . The sun was still high , but the heat was no longer oppressive ; the air felt soft and caressing . The dense forest on either hand was wrapped in stillness ; no sound penetrated between the slender stems of the trees ; the horse 's tread in the soft sand made only a slight swishing noise . At a crossing of the ways the mare came to a standstill , stretching out her nose towards a narrower lane , and snuffing the air .