five o'clock in the afternoon
But it pleased him to see that Polly took sides with her friend , and loyally espoused her cause . No , there had not been a single jarring note in all their intercourse ; each moment had made the dear girl dearer to him . Now , worse luck , forty odd miles were between them again . It had been agreed that he should call at her brother 's private house , towards five o'clock in the afternoon . He had thus to kill time for the better part of the next day . His first visit was to a jeweller 's in Great Collins Street . Here , he pushed aside a tray of showy diamonds -- a successful digger was covering the fat , red hands of his bride with them -- and chose a slender , discreetly chased setting , containing three small stones .