ten o'clock
`` Has n't he had breakfast ? '' `` No . He left word he did n't want to eat until about four bells , whatever time that is . '' `` It 's ten o'clock , '' replied Tom , who had been studying up on sea terms lately . `` Eight bells is eight o'clock in the morning , or four in the afternoon or eight at night , according to the time of day . Then there 's one bell for every half hour , so four bells this morning would be ten o'clock in this watch , I suppose . '' `` Oh , that 's the way it goes , eh ? ''