about six o'clock
Denry was not as regular in his goings and comings as the generality of business men in the Five Towns ; no doubt because he was not by nature a business man at all , but an adventurous spirit who happened to be in a business which was much too good to leave . He was continually , as they say there , `` up to something '' that caused changes in daily habits . Moreover , the Universal Thrift Club -LRB- Limited -RRB- was so automatic and self-winding that Denry ran no risks in leaving it often to the care of his highly drilled staff . Still , he did usually come home to his tea about six o'clock of an evening , like the rest , and like the rest , he brought with him a copy of the _ Signal _ to glance at during tea . One afternoon in July he arrived thus upon his waiting wife at Machin House , Bleakridge . And she could see that an idea was fermenting in his head . Nellie understood him .