eight o'clock
At that time he had been in Kingston for the best part of four weeks , lodging at the house of a very decent , respectable widow , by name Mrs. Anne Bolles , who , with three pleasant and agreeable daughters , kept a very clean and well-served lodging house in the outskirts of the town . One morning , as our hero sat sipping his coffee , clad only in loose cotton drawers , a shirt , and a jacket , and with slippers upon his feet , as is the custom in that country , where everyone endeavors to keep as cool as may be while he sat thus sipping his coffee Miss Eliza , the youngest of the three daughters , came and gave him a note , which , she said , a stranger had just handed in at the door , going away again without waiting for a reply . You may judge of Barnaby 's surprise when he opened the note and read as follows : MR. BARNABY TRUE . SIR , -- Though you do n't know me , I know you , and I tell you this : if you will be at Pratt 's Ordinary on Harbor Street on Friday next at eight o'clock of the evening , and will accompany the man who shall say to you , `` The Royal Sovereign is come in , '' you shall learn something the most to your advantage that ever befell you . Sir , keep this note , and show it to him who shall address these words to you , so to certify that you are the man he seeks . Such was the wording of the note , which was without address , and without any superscription whatever . The first emotion that stirred Barnaby was one of extreme and profound amazement .