five o'clock
-- for the young people , Pope Joan , or what you please , in the drawing-room , with lots of flirting and favouritism , and a jolly little supper of broiled bones and whipt cream , and toasts and sentiments , with plenty of sly allusions and honest laughter all round the table . But twice or thrice in the year the worthy couple made a more imposing gathering at the King 's House , and killed the fatted calf , and made a solemn feast to the big wigs and the notables of Chapelizod , with just such a sprinkling of youngsters as sufficed to keep alive the young people whom they brought in their train . There was eating of venison and farced turkeys , and other stately fare ; and they praised the colonel 's claret , and gave the servants their ` veils ' in the hall , and drove away in their carriages , with flambeaux and footmen , followed by the hearty good-night of the host from the hall-door steps , and amazing the quiet little town with their rattle and glare . Dinner was a five o'clock affair in those days , and the state parlour was well filled . There was old Bligh from the Magazine -- I take the guests in order of arrival -- and the Chattesworths , and the Walsinghams ; and old Dowager Lady Glenvarlogh -- Colonel Stratford 's cousin -- who flashed out in the evening sun from Dublin in thunder and dust and her carriage-and-four , bringing her mild little country niece , who watched her fat painted aunt all the time of dinner , with the corners of her frightened little eyes , across the table ; and spoke sparingly , and ate with diffidence ; and Captain Devereux was there ; and the next beau who appeared was -- of all men in the world -- Mr. Mervyn ! and Aunt Becky watched , and saw with satisfaction , that he and Gertrude met as formally and coldly as she could have desired . And then there was an elaborate macaroni , one of the Lord Lieutenant 's household , -- Mr. Beauchamp ; and last , Lord Castlemallard , who liked very well to be the chief man in the room , and dozed after dinner serenely in that consciousness , and loved to lean back upon his sofa in the drawing-room , and gaze in a dozing , smiling , Turkish reverie , after Gertrude Chattesworth and pretty Lilias , whom he admired ; and when either came near enough , he would take her hand and say , -- ` Well , child , how do you do ?