nine o'clock in the evening
There was not a curtain , not a blind , not a picture . The further end of the room away from the door contained a huge fireplace , and on the wooden mantelpiece ticked a three-and-sixpenny clock . During the daytime it was an abode of abominable desolation . No one came near it until nine o'clock in the evening , when one or two members straggled in , took down their long pipes and called for whisky or beer , the only alcoholic beverages the club provided . These were kept in great barrels in the scullery , presided over by Mrs. Housekeeper until it was time to prepare the supper , when Cherubino and I helped ourselves . At eleven the cloth was laid . From then till half past members came in considerable numbers .