five o'clock
Her mother had died , a few months after the marriage ; and Mr. Bale had at once placed Bob at the school , at Putney ; and had announced his intention of taking him , in due time , into his business . The boy always spent one half of his holidays with his uncle , the other with his sister . The former had been a trial , both to him and to Mr. Bale . They saw but little of each other ; for Mr. Bale , who , like most business men of the time , lived over his offices , went downstairs directly he had finished his breakfast , and did not come up again until his work was over when , at five o'clock , he dined . The meal over , he sometimes went out to the houses of friends , or to the halls of one or other of the city companies to which he belonged . While Bob was with him , he told off one of the foremen in his business to go about with the boy . The days , therefore , passed pleasantly , as they generally went on excursions by water up or down the river or , sometimes , when it was not otherwise required , in a light cart used in the business , to Epping or Hainault Forest .