one o'clock
Another night he attended another meeting and lost a number of friends because he shone at both ends but not in the middle . If he had taken a glittering coin or two from his vest-pocket on behalf of the noble working-men there assembled in great numbers and spirituous mood , they would have forgiven him his wit and patent-leather shoes -- and so it went . Perkins was nightly hauled hither and yon by the man he called his `` Hagenbeck , '' the manager of the wild animal he felt himself gradually degenerating into , and his wife and home and children saw less of him than of the unimportant floating voter whose mind was open to conviction , but could be reached only by way of the throat . `` Two o'clock last night ; one o'clock the night before ; I suppose it 'll be three before you are in to-night ? '' Mrs. Perkins said , ruefully . `` I do not know , my dear , '' replied Thaddeus . `` There are five meetings on for to-night . ''