five o'clock in the
afternoon
Now , of the three reporters thus commissioned , one was a man of appearance so eminently respectable that no one would have thought of taking him for a journalist . People used to put him down for a County Councillor or an Archdeacon at the very least . As a matter of fact , however , he was a sinful man , with a passion for gin . He lived at Bow , and , on the Sabbath in question , he left his home at five o'clock in the afternoon , and started to walk to the scene of his labours . The road from Bow to the City on a wet and chilly Sunday evening is a cheerless one ; who can blame him if on his way he stopped once or twice to comfort himself with `` two '' of his favourite beverage ? On reaching St. Paul 's he found he had twenty minutes to spare -- just time enough for one final `` nip . '' Half way down a narrow court leading out of the Churchyard he found a quiet little hostelry , and , entering the private bar , whispered insinuatingly across the counter : `` Two of gin hot , if you please , my dear . ''