about eight at night
To be sure , this was no concern of mine , except in so far as it entertained me by the way . What was much more to the purpose , few had any English , and these few -LRB- unless they were of the brotherhood of beggars -RRB- not very anxious to place it at my service . I knew Torosay to be my destination , and repeated the name to them and pointed ; but instead of simply pointing in reply , they would give me a screed of the Gaelic that set me foolish ; so it was small wonder if I went out of my road as often as I stayed in it . At last , about eight at night , and already very weary , I came to a lone house , where I asked admittance , and was refused , until I bethought me of the power of money in so poor a country , and held up one of my guineas in my finger and thumb . Thereupon , the man of the house , who had hitherto pretended to have no English , and driven me from his door by signals , suddenly began to speak as clearly as was needful , and agreed for five shillings to give me a night 's lodging and guide me the next day to Torosay . I slept uneasily that night , fearing I should be robbed ; but I might have spared myself the pain ; for my host was no robber , only miserably poor and a great cheat . He was not alone in his poverty ; for the next morning , we must go five miles about to the house of what he called a rich man to have one of my guineas changed .