five o'clock
Only the Bramhallites laid nervous half-crowns on the house , and hoped a mighty hope . That excellent fellow , White , displayed his unfortunate features glowing with an expression that was almost beautiful . As the day of the race led me , steadily and without pity , to the time of ordeal , I sickened so from nerves that I could scarcely swallow food ; and what I did swallow I could n't taste . I was glad when at five o'clock something definite could be done like going to the baths , selecting a cabin , and beginning to undress . Four minutes were scarcely sufficient for me to undo my braces , such was the trembling of my hand . I longed for the moments to pass , so that the time to dive in could come ; every delay ruffled me ; I wished the whole thing were over . It did n't lessen my suffering to watch the gallery filling with excited boys , and to see the crowd on the ground-floor make way for Salome himself , followed by Fillet and Radley as representatives of Bramhall , and Upton as house-master of Erasmus .