nine o’clock in the morning
He was a man of about sixty -- invariably called John , without the addition of any surname . I knew him long before we opened our room , for I was in the habit of frequently visiting the chop-house in which he served . His hours were incredible . He began at nine o'clock in the morning with sweeping the dining-room , cleaning the tables and the gas globes , and at twelve business commenced with early luncheons . Not till three-quarters of an hour after midnight could he leave , for the house was much used by persons who supped there after the theatres . During almost the whole of this time he was on his legs , and very often he was unable to find two minutes in the day in which to get his dinner . Sundays , however , were free .