A quarter past one
`` Precious little we get out of that , though , '' said East . `` Jones the praepostor has the study at the fire end , and he has rigged up an iron rod and green baize curtain across the passage , which he draws at night , and sits there with his door open ; so he gets all the fire , and hears if we come out of our studies after eight , or make a noise . However , he 's taken to sitting in the fifth-form room lately , so we do get a bit of fire now sometimes ; only to keep a sharp lookout that he do n't catch you behind his curtain when he comes down -- that 's all . '' A quarter past one now struck , and the bell began tolling for dinner ; so they went into the hall and took their places , Tom at the very bottom of the second table , next to the praepostor -LRB- who sat at the end to keep order there -RRB- , and East a few paces higher . And now Tom for the first time saw his future school-fellows in a body . In they came , some hot and ruddy from football or long walks , some pale and chilly from hard reading in their studies , some from loitering over the fire at the pastrycook 's , dainty mortals , bringing with them pickles and saucebottles to help them with their dinners . And a great big-bearded man , whom Tom took for a master , began calling over the names , while the great joints were being rapidly carved on the third table in the corner by the old verger and the housekeeper .