four o'clock
He had more tolerance for his mother who seemed to him an object provided by Providence in connection with a sofa , on purpose for him to climb over . Her maternal instinct went so far as to allow him to climb over it twice a day for short intervals . After all he had gained her two years . Estelle lay on the sofa one autumn afternoon at four o'clock , with her eyes firmly shut . She was aware that Winn had come in , and was very inconsiderately tramping to and fro in heavy boots . He seldom entered the drawing-room at this hour , and if he did , he went out again as soon as he saw that her eyes were shut . Probably he meant to say something horrible about India ; she had been expecting it for some time .