About ten o'clock
It was simply foolishness , I told myself to go on playing the stranger here and pretending nobody knew . And a full beard was a nuisance in the hot weather ; moreover , it was grey , and made me look ever so old . So I set to and shaved it off . About ten o'clock I started out towards the clearing . Lars was not back . I stayed there a while with Emma , and presently he came in . I took the letter and went straight home .