nine o'clock
At length , after lying awake for half of the night , thinking over what was to be done , he came to the reluctant conclusion that it was his imperative duty to those he owed , to mention the necessities of his case to the vestry , and learn from them , without further delay , whether he had any thing beyond the four hundred dollars to expect . The hardest task Mr. Malcolm had ever performed was now before him , and he shrunk from it with painful reluctance . But the path of duty was plain , and he was not a man to hold back when he saw his way clear . If there had been any hesitation , an imperative dun received before he sat down to breakfast , and another before nine o'clock , would have effectually dispelled it . Mr. Malcolm went to the store of Mr. Elder , one of the vestrymen , and found him quite busy with customers . He waited for half an hour for him to be disengaged , and then went out , saying , as he passed him at the counter , that he would call in again . `` Oh , dear ! ''