five o'clock
They found it very diverting to be receiving in Tom 's rooms , presiding over his breakfasts and luncheons , altering the position of his furniture , and making the place look as pretty as circumstances would allow . Then there was pleasant occupation for every spare hour , and the fetes and amusements were all unlike everything but themselves . Of course the ladies at once became enthusiastic St. Ambrosians , and managed in spite of all distractions to find time for making up rosettes and bows of blue and white , in which to appear at the procession of the boats , which was the great event of the Monday . Fortunately Mr. Winter had been a good oar in his day , and had pulled in one of the first four-oars in which the University races had commenced some thirty-five years before ; and Tom , who had set his mind on managing his uncle , worked him up almost into enthusiasm and forgetfulness of his maladies , so that he raised no objection to a five o'clock dinner , and an adjournment to the river almost immediately afterwards . Jervis , who was all-powerful on the river , at Tom 's instigation got an arm-chair for him in the best part of the University barge , while the ladies , after walking along the bank with Tom and others of the crew , and being instructed in the colors of the different boats , and the meaning of the ceremony , took their places in the front row on the top of the barge , beneath the awning and the flags , and looked down with hundreds of other fair strangers on the scene , which certainly merited all that Tom had said of it on faith . The barges above and below the University barge , which occupied the post of honor , were also covered with ladies , and Christchurch Meadow swarmed with gay dresses and caps and gowns . On the opposite side the bank was lined with a crowd in holiday clothes , and the punts plied across without intermission loaded with people , till the groups stretched away down the towing path in an almost continuous line to the starting place .