noon
Some say that Bell 's Tower got its name from the contraction of Isobel . Names stick after the things have passed away . They did well at least to change the rope -- _ finis funis _ . The particular day in the life of the worthy disciple of Esculapius to which we desire to direct the attention of the reader , was raw , coldish , and drizzly in the morning , but cleared up towards noon ; and although it never became what could be called warm -LRB- it was the latter end of September -RRB- , it turned out a very passable sort of day on the whole -- such a day as no man could reasonably object to , unless he had some particular purpose of his own to serve . In such case he might perhaps have wished more rain , or probably more sunshine , as the one or the other suited his interest ; but where no such selfish motives interfered , the day must have been generally allowed to have been a good one . The thermometer stood at -- we forget what ; and the barometer indicated `` Fair . '' The doctor was a little stout man , not what could be called corpulent , but presenting that sort of plump appearance which gives the idea of a person 's being hard-packed , squeezed , crammed into his skin .