half past eleven o'clock
He talked to the fishmonger in Leather Lane , where he went to buy a bloater for his tea , casually as though from curiosity and without any interested motive . `` Sell , '' said the master of the shop , `` Why nobody would n't believe what can be sold by penn ` orths and twopenn ` orths if you go the right way to work . Look at whelks , for instance . Last Saturday night me and my little Emma here , we sold 7 pounds worth of whelks between eight and half past eleven o'clock -- and almost all in penn ` orths and twopenn ` orths -- a few , hap ` orths , but not many . It was the steam that did it . We kept a-boiling of 'em hot and hot , and whenever the steam came strong up from the cellar on to the pavement , the people bought , but whenever the steam went down they left off buying ; so we boiled them over and over again till they was all sold . That 's just where it is ; if you know your business you can sell , if you do n't you 'll soon make a mess of it .