About two o’clock
He first attracted our notice , by sitting opposite to us in the reading-room at the British Museum ; and what made the man more remarkable was , that he always had before him a couple of shabby-genteel books -- two old dog 's - eared folios , in mouldy worm-eaten covers , which had once been smart . He was in his chair , every morning , just as the clock struck ten ; he was always the last to leave the room in the afternoon ; and when he did , he quitted it with the air of a man who knew not where else to go , for warmth and quiet . There he used to sit all day , as close to the table as possible , in order to conceal the lack of buttons on his coat : with his old hat carefully deposited at his feet , where he evidently flattered himself it escaped observation . About two o'clock , you would see him munching a French roll or a penny loaf ; not taking it boldly out of his pocket at once , like a man who knew he was only making a lunch ; but breaking off little bits in his pocket , and eating them by stealth . He knew too well it was his dinner . When we first saw this poor object , we thought it quite impossible that his attire could ever become worse . We even went so far , as to speculate on the possibility of his shortly appearing in a decent second-hand suit .