Six o'clock
I knew enough of Bubbleton to be certain that all chance of assistance in that quarter was out of the question : the only source he could draw upon being his invention ; the only wealth he possessed , the riches of his imagination , which had , however , this advantage over any other species of property I ever heard of , -- the more he squandered it , the more affluent did he become . Time wore on ; the clock struck four , and yet no appearance of Bubbleton . Another hour rolled by , -- no one came near me ; and at length , from the perfect stillness without , I believed they had forgotten me . Six o'clock , seven , and even eight struck ; and yet no one came . The monotonous tread of the sentry on guard at the Castle gate and the occasional challenge to some passing stranger were the only sounds I heard above the distant hum of the city , which grew fainter gradually as evening fell . At last I heard the sound of a key moving in a lock , the bang of a door , and then came the noise of many voices as the footsteps mounted the stairs , amid which Bubbleton 's was pre-eminently loud . The party entered the room next to where I sat , and from the tones I could collect that Major Barton and Mr. Cooke were of the number .