six in the morning
to go and change his clothes , and to disguise himself by putting on his black wig , and keeping his mouth shut ; and then to dodge about Smith 's , to inform himself of the lady 's motions . *** I give thee this impudent account of myself , that thou mayest rave at me , and call me hardened , and what thou wilt . For , in the first place , I , who had been so lately ill , was glad I was alive ; and then I was so balked by my charmer 's unexpected absence , and so ruffled by that , and by the bluff treatment of father John , that I had no other way to avoid being out of humour with all I met with . Moreover I was rejoiced to find , by the lady 's absence , and by her going out at six in the morning , that it was impossible she should be so ill as thou representest her to be ; and this gave me still higher spirits . Then I know the sex always love cheerful and humourous fellows . The dear creature herself used to be pleased with my gay temper and lively manner ; and had she been told that I was blubbering for her in the back-shop , she would have despised me still more than she does . Furthermore , I was sensible that the people of the house must needs have a terrible notion of me , as a savage , bloody-minded , obdurate fellow ; a perfect woman-eater ; and , no doubt , expected to see me with the claws of a lion , and the fangs of a tiger ; and it was but policy to show them what a harmless pleasant fellow I am , in order to familiarize the Johns and the Josephs to me .