two o’clock
This was Amy 's territory during the hours when her husband was working , or endeavouring to work . Of necessity , Edwin Reardon used the front room as his study . His writing-table stood against the window ; each wall had its shelves of serried literature ; vases , busts , engravings -LRB- all of the inexpensive kind -RRB- served for ornaments . A maid-servant , recently emancipated from the Board school , came at half-past seven each morning , and remained until two o'clock , by which time the Reardons had dined ; on special occasions , her services were enlisted for later hours . But it was Reardon 's habit to begin the serious work of the day at about three o'clock , and to continue with brief interruptions until ten or eleven ; in many respects an awkward arrangement , but enforced by the man 's temperament and his poverty . One evening he sat at his desk with a slip of manuscript paper before him . It was the hour of sunset .