nine o'clock
He rather thought that he would go deep into Greek and do a translation , or take up the exact sciences and make a name for himself that way . But as he had enough for the life of a secluded literary man without his salary , he rather thought that he would give up his office altogether . He had a mutton chop at home that evening , and spent his time in endeavouring to read out loud to himself certain passages from the Iliad ; -- for he had bought a Homer as he returned from his office . At nine o'clock he went , half-price , to the Strand Theatre . How he met there his old friend Boulger and went afterwards to `` The Cock '' and had a supper need not here be told with more accurate detail . On the evening of the next day he was bound by his appointment to go to Porchester Terrace . In the moments of his enthusiasm about Homer he had declared to himself that he would never go near Miss Demolines again .