about 5 p.m.
-- a fish of which I am extremely fond -- and ran out to procure threepenny worth . On my return , my wife here -- I suppose , because she objects to clean the fish -- assaulted me in the manner you behold . '' With praiseworthy public spirit , however , Mr. Sullivan forewent his revenge , and , having cleansed his hair , ran with all speed to get out the fire-engine . Returning to the Quay , at about 5 p.m. , I found a large crowd assembled before the engine-room door , from which the vapour was pouring in dense clouds . The Brigade came rattling up with their manual in less than ten minutes . As luck would have it , this was just the hour when the mummers , guise dancers and darkey-parties were dressing up for their Christmas rounds ; and the appearance presented by the crowd in the deepening dusk would , in less serious circumstances , have been extremely diverting . Two of the firemen wore large moustaches of burnt cork beneath their helmets , and another -LRB- who was cast to play the Turkish Knight -RRB- had found no time to remove the bright blue dye he had been applying to his face .