three
o'clock
`` I do n't pretend to teach you sermon-making : I only tell you that , such as sermons mostly are , precious little help or comfort can be derived from them . '' Mr. Jones again made his characteristic grimace , expressive of the contempt for secular opinion with which he was morally so well cushioned , but he had a kind heart and refrained from crushing his poor old opponent with too severe a rejoinder . He granted that some novels might be harmless , and such as he would not object to see in the hands of his daughters ; but as a general rule he had a prejudice against fiction ; and as for theatres , he would have them all shut up , for he was convinced that thousands of young men and women might date their ruin from their first visit to a theatre : he could tell them many anecdotes in support of his assertions . Fortunately , it was three o'clock . The butler brought in letters by the afternoon post , and the anecdotes had to be deferred to a more convenient season . The clergyman took his leave . Lady Angleby glanced through her sheaf of correspondence , and singled out one letter .