a quarter past two
After hearing what his plans were , Mrs. Carling suggested that he should ride out after he had done his letters , so as to get some exercise at the fine part of the day ; and she then reminded him that a longer time than usual had elapsed since he had been to see a certain old pensioner of his , who had nursed him as a child , and who was now bedridden , in a village at some distance , called Tringweighton . Although the rector saw no immediate necessity for making this charitable visit , the more especially as the ride to the village and back , and the intermediate time devoted to gossip , would occupy at least two hours and a half , he assented to his wife 's proposal , perceiving that she urged it with unusual earnestness , and being unwilling to thwart her , even in a trifle , at a time when she was ill . Accordingly , his horse was at the door at twelve precisely . Impatient to get back to the precious volume of the _ Times , _ he rode so much faster than usual , and so shortened his visit to the old woman , that he was home again by a quarter past two . Ascertaining from the servant who opened the door that the volume had been left by Mr. Rambert 's messenger punctually at two , he ran up to his wife 's room to tell her about his visit before he secluded himself for the rest of the afternoon over his work . On entering the bedroom he found it still darkened , and he was struck by a smell of burned paper in it . His wife -LRB- who was now dressed in her wrapper and lying on the sofa -RRB- accounted for the smell by telling him that she had fancied the room felt close , and that she had burned some paper -- being afraid of the cold air if she opened the window -- to fumigate it .