half past
four
There were some who were -- as they thought -- exceptionally lucky : the firms they worked for were busy enough to let them work two hours ' overtime every night -- till half past seven -- without stopping for tea . Most of these arrived home about eight , completely flattened out . Then they had some tea and a wash and before they knew where they were it was about half past nine . Then they went to sleep again till half past four or five the next morning . They were usually so tired when they got home at night that they never had any inclination for study or any kind of self-improvement , even if they had had the time . They had plenty of time to study during the winter : and their favourite subject then was , how to preserve themselves from starving to death . This overtime , however , was the exception , for although in former years it had been the almost invariable rule to work till half past seven in summer , most of the firms now made a practice of ceasing work at five-thirty .