three o'clock
He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums ; of racing matches , in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner ; of shooting parties , in which he had killed more birds -LRB- though without having one good shot -RRB- than all his companions together ; and described to her some famous day 's sport , with the fox-hounds , in which his foresight and skill in directing the dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsman , and in which the boldness of his riding , though it had never endangered his own life for a moment , had been constantly leading others into difficulties , which he calmly concluded had broken the necks of many . Little as Catherine was in the habit of judging for herself , and unfixed as were her general notions of what men ought to be , she could not entirely repress a doubt , while she bore with the effusions of his endless conceit , of his being altogether completely agreeable . It was a bold surmise , for he was Isabella 's brother ; and she had been assured by James that his manners would recommend him to all her sex ; but in spite of this , the extreme weariness of his company , which crept over her before they had been out an hour , and which continued unceasingly to increase till they stopped in Pulteney Street again , induced her , in some small degree , to resist such high authority , and to distrust his powers of giving universal pleasure . When they arrived at Mrs. Allen 's door , the astonishment of Isabella was hardly to be expressed , on finding that it was too late in the day for them to attend her friend into the house : `` Past three o'clock ! '' It was inconceivable , incredible , impossible ! And she would neither believe her own watch , nor her brother 's , nor the servant 's ; she would believe no assurance of it founded on reason or reality , till Morland produced his watch , and ascertained the fact ; to have doubted a moment longer then would have been equally inconceivable , incredible , and impossible ; and she could only protest , over and over again , that no two hours and a half had ever gone off so swiftly before , as Catherine was called on to confirm ; Catherine could not tell a falsehood even to please Isabella ; but the latter was spared the misery of her friend 's dissenting voice , by not waiting for her answer . Her own feelings entirely engrossed her ; her wretchedness was most acute on finding herself obliged to go directly home .