nine
o'clock
Mrs. Waddy entreated him to be respectful to my father , who was , she declared , his superior , and , begging everybody 's pardon present , the superior of us all , through no sin of his own , that caused him to be so unfortunate ; and a real Christian and pattern , in spite of outsides , though as true a gentleman as ever walked , and by rights should be amongst the highest . She repeated ` amongst the highest ' reprovingly , with the ears of barley in her blue bonnet shaking , and her hands clasped tight in her lap . Old Mr. Bannerbridge -LRB- that was the old gentleman 's name -RRB- came back very late from his visit to my father , so late that he said it would be cruel to let me go out in the street after my bed-time . Mrs. Waddy consented to my remaining , on the condition of my being surrendered to her at nine o'clock , and no later , the following morning . I was assured by Mr. Bannerbridge that my father 's health and appetite were excellent ; he gave me a number of unsatisfying messages , all the rest concerning his interview he whispered to his daughter and his sister , Miss Bannerbridge , who said they hoped they would have news from Hampshire very early , so that the poor child might be taken away by the friends of his infancy . I could understand that my father was disapproved of by them , and that I was a kind of shuttlecock flying between two battledores ; but why they pitied me I could not understand . There was a great battle about me when Mrs. Waddy appeared punctual to her appointed hour .