eight o'clock
But as he brushed his smooth hair and combed his beard that morning , neither change nor excitement were very far from him . He looked over his dressing-glass at the leafless oaks of the park , at the grey sky and the driving rain and he wished something would happen . He wished somebody might die and leave a great library to be sold , that he might indulge his favourite passion ; he wished he had somebody stopping in the Hall -- he almost decided to send and ask the vicar to come to lunch and have a day among the books . As he entered the breakfast-room at precisely half-past eight o'clock , according to his wont , the butler informed him that Mr. Gall , the village constable , was below and wanted to see him after breakfast . He received the news in silence and sat down to eat his breakfast and read the morning paper . Gall had probably come about some petty summons , or to ask what he should do about the small boys who threw stones at the rooks and broke the church windows . After finishing his meal and his paper in the leisurely manner peculiar to country gentlemen who have nothing to do , the squire rang the bell , sent for the policeman and went into his study , a small room adjoining the library .