five o'clock
Probably they had parted just outside the house , the one going inland up the hill , the other down the street towards the harbour . Nothing more was heard of them . Their furniture went to pay the quarter 's rent due to the Squire , and the cottage , six months later , passed into the occupation of Simon Hancock , waterman . At this point Simon shall take up the narrative : -- `` I 'd been tenant over there '' -- with a nod towards the ruin -- `` nine year an ' goin ' on for the tenth , when , on a Monday mornin ' , about this time o ' year , I gets out o ' bed at five o'clock an ' down to the quay to have a look at my boat ; for 't was the fag-end of the Equinox , and ther 'd been a ` nation gale blowin ' all Sunday and all Sunday night , an ' I thought she might have broke loose from her moorin 's . `` The street was dark as your hat and the wind comin ' up it like gas in a pipe , with a brave deal o ' rain . But down ` pon the quay day was breakin ' -- a sort of blind man 's holiday , but enough to see the boat by ; and there she held all right . You know there 's two posts ` pon the town-quay , and another slap opposite the door o ' the ` Fifteen Balls ' ?