four o'clock
The other three , carefree and unconcerned for what the future might hold , roamed the woods during the afternoon , but to Larry what in other circumstances would have been a day of unalloyed joy , brought him only a present misery and a dread for the future . The question of school for the afternoon was only mentioned to be dismissed . They were too dirty and muddy to venture into the presence of the master . Consequently the obvious course was to wait until four o'clock when joining the other children they might slip home unnoticed . The afternoon soon began to lag . The woods had lost their first glamour . Their games grew to be burdensome .