four o'clock
` Father , ' said I , ` I do n't know , but I do think Old Father Christmas is going to bring us a Christmas-tree to-night . ' '' ` Who 's been telling you that ? ' said my father . But he passed on before I could explain that we had seen Father Christmas himself , and had had his word for it that he would return at four o'clock , and that the candles on his tree would be lighted as soon as it was dark . `` We hovered on the outskirts of the rooms till four o'clock came . We sat on the stairs and watched the big clock , which I was just learning to read ; and Patty made herself giddy with constantly looking up and counting the four strokes , towards which the hour hand slowly moved . We put our noses into the kitchen now and then , to smell the cakes and get warm , and anon we hung about the parlour door , and were most unjustly accused of trying to peep .