about two
o'clock
All this took a long time , and our task was a very hot one , for from between the places where the bricks joined , the fire sent out a tremendous heat , where it could be seen glowing and almost white in its intensity . But hot as it was on a midsummer day , the whole business had a great fascination for me , and I would not have left it on any account . The doctor , too , seemed wonderfully interested . Kicksey came about two o'clock to say that the dinner was ready , but the doctor would not leave the furnace ; neither would I , and each of us , armed with a pair of tongs from the kitchen and parlour , stood as close as we could , ready to put on fresh pieces of charcoal as the fire began to sink . `` How long will it take cooking , sir ? '' I said , after the furnace had been glowing for a long time . `` Hah ! ''