twelve o'clock
As a precaution I took a receipt for the amount , which Greely Hanniford -LRB- for such was the Quaker 's name -RRB- signed , and took his departure . My companion said he would do himself the honor of calling upon me at eleven o'clock in the morning , an earlier hour being considered very unfashionable among military men . He would then , if necessary , bear testimony to the transaction . It was now twelve o'clock , and bearing me company as far as the Astor House steps , he exchanged civilities and took his departure , having first slipped a card into my hand , upon which was inscribed in neat letters , ` General Fopp , 32 Pleasant-side Row . ' Pleasant-side Row being a mystery to me , I retired to bed thinking of my first night 's adventure in our modern Babylon , and awoke early in the morning to regret that delay in the pursuit of my mission might cause grievous injury to the nation . '' Again , we bridled old Battle , and proceeded slowly on , the sun being intense enough to dissolve both our brains , and the major cutting short the thread of his story by saying we would dine with Mrs. Trotbridge , whose house we ought to reach by high noon . `` However , it was neither here nor there , '' the major resumed ; `` I knew that no military man of any distinction could escape the formalities and ceremonies it was necessary to go through before being regularly enstated into the good graces of New York society , and so gave myself up to the policy of making the best of it .