two o'clock
At a quarter-past one , Philpot was still missing and the uneasiness of the shareholders began to develop into a panic . Some of them plainly expressed the opinion that he had gone on the razzle with the money . As the time wore on , this became the general opinion . At two o'clock , all hope of his return having been abandoned , two or three of the shareholders went and drank some of the cold tea . Their fears were only too well founded , for they saw no more of Philpot till the next morning , when he arrived looking very sheepish and repentant and promised to refund all the money on Saturday . He also made a long , rambling statement from which it appeared that on his way to the ` Cricketers ' he met a couple of chaps whom he knew who were out of work , and he invited them to come and have a drink . When they got to the pub , they found there the Semi-drunk and the Besotted Wretch .