four o'clock
It was necessary to the arrangement of Martin 's plan that he should stay at home that day . Accordingly , he found no appetite for breakfast , and just about school-time took a severe pain about his heart , which rendered it advisable that , instead of setting out to the grammar school with Mark , he should succeed to his father 's arm-chair by the fireside , and also to his morning paper . This point being satisfactorily settled , and Mark being gone to Mr. Summer 's class , and Matthew and Mr. Yorke withdrawn to the counting-house , three other exploits -- nay , four -- remained to be achieved . The first of these was to realize the breakfast he had not yet tasted , and with which his appetite of fifteen could ill afford to dispense ; the second , third , fourth , to get his mother , Miss Moore , and Mrs. Horsfall successfully out of the way before four o'clock that afternoon . The first was , for the present , the most pressing , since the work before him demanded an amount of energy which the present empty condition of his youthful stomach did not seem likely to supply . Martin knew the way to the larder , and knowing this way he took it . The servants were in the kitchen , breakfasting solemnly with closed doors ; his mother and Miss Moore were airing themselves on the lawn , and discussing the closed doors aforesaid .