one o'clock
`` I 've very sorry , Madame , '' began Herr Gottfried , `` but I 'm afraid we have n't ... '' `` I think -- '' said Peter timidly , and he climbed the little ladder and brought the book down from a misty corner . Herr Gottfried was indeed amazed at him -- he said very little but he was certainly amazed . Indeed , with the exception of the `` meat-pie '' interval he scarcely spoke throughout the day . Peter began to look forward to one o'clock for then the German , in the midst of the babel and the smoke , continued the educating progress , and even read Goethe 's poetry aloud -LRB- translating it into the strangest English -RRB- and developed Peter 's conception of Homer into an alluring and fascinating picture . Of London itself during these days Peter saw nothing . At eight o'clock in the evening the shutters were put up by the disobedient James and the shop retired for the night . Herr Gottfried shuffled away to some hidden resting-place of his own and Peter found supper waiting for him in the room at the back .