six o'clock in the evening
I pelieve he sweetens mit ter Yankee melasses ! '' Marmaduke smiled and nodded affectionately at the young couple , and closed the door after them . If any of our readers expect that we are going to open it again , for their gratification , they are mistaken . The tete-a-tete continued for a very unreasonable time -- how long we shall not say ; but it was ended by six o'clock in the evening , for at that hour Monsieur Le Quoi made his appearance agreeably to the appointment of the preceding day , and claimed the ear of Miss Temple . He was admitted ; when he made an offer of his hand , with much suavity , together with his `` amis beeg and leet ' , his père , his mere and his sucreboosh . '' Elizabeth might , possibly , have previously entered into some embarrassing and binding engagements with Oliver , for she declined the tender of all , in terms as polite , though perhaps a little more decided , than those in which they were made . The Frenchman soon joined the German and the sheriff in the hall , who compelled him to take a seat with them at the table , where , by the aid of punch , wine , and egg nog , they soon extracted from the complaisant Monsieur Le Quoi the nature of his visit , it was evident that he had made the offer , as a duty which a well-bred man owed to a lady in such a retired place , before he had left the country , and that his feelings were but very little , if at all , interested in the matter .