twelve o'clock
Indeed , not only would he be reckless , and sadly given to making blots in the afternoon , but , some days , he went further , and was rather noisy . At such times , too , his face flamed with augmented blazonry , as if cannel coal had been heaped on anthracite . He made an unpleasant racket with his chair ; spilled his sand-box ; in mending his pens , impatiently split them all to pieces , and threw them on the floor in a sudden passion ; stood up , and leaned over his table , boxing his papers about in a most indecorous manner , very sad to behold in an elderly man like him . Nevertheless , as he was in many ways a most valuable person to me , and all the time before twelve o'clock , meridian , was the quickest , steadiest creature , too , accomplishing a great deal of work in a style not easily to be matched -- for these reasons , I was willing to overlook his eccentricities , though , indeed , occasionally , I remonstrated with him . I did this very gently , however , because , though the civilest , nay , the blandest and most reverential of men in the morning , yet , in the afternoon , he was disposed , upon provocation , to be slightly rash with his tongue -- in fact , insolent . Now , valuing his morning services as I did , and resolved not to lose them -- yet , at the same time , made uncomfortable by his inflamed ways after twelve o'clock -- and being a man of peace , unwilling by my admonitions to call forth unseemly retorts from him , I took upon me , one Saturday noon -LRB- he was always worse on Saturdays -RRB- to hint to him , very kindly , that , perhaps , now that he was growing old , it might be well to abridge his labors ; in short , he need not come to my chambers after twelve o'clock , but , dinner over , had best go home to his lodgings , and rest himself till tea-time . But no ; he insisted upon his afternoon devotions .