eight o'clock
They had not much novelty , in good truth . But on these occasions they had the slight excitement of seeing new faces , and speculating how their arrival would `` draw '' the populace . Harry , of course , young as he was to the business of his present life , quite naturally looked forward to the new places and new people . At eight o'clock the band ascended the platform ranged in front of the painted screen before alluded to , and set about making a great deal of noise , and a goodly assemblage began to flock towards the show , and carried quite away by the life-like pictorial representations of the animals , first hesitated , then put their hands in their pockets , hesitated again , and finally paid their sixpences and went in . Mrs Blewcome was in high glee at the rapid way in which her exchequer was filling . Mr Blewcome was in the midst of a most instructive harangue upon the nature and habits of that sportive animal , the elephant , and Harry sat on the steps of the platform , where the band was playing , and watched the people whom the show attracted , and those , too , who kept perpetually passing to and fro between the centre of the town and the docks . For the menagerie had taken up its position in an open space close by some wharves adjoining the docks .