two o'clock
He even doubted whether it would be good policy to call on her in the morning ; he might find her busy with household cares . Probably it would be best to wait for the afternoon , when she would be at leisure . This , he decided would be best . He would arrive in her presence at two o'clock , and four hours of conversation would carry them to the point of being well acquainted , as advised by Jarby 's Encyclopedia . The next day he could enter the second stage of the directions , and call with a book , present it ; call after dinner with a box of candy , present it ; call after supper , and propose a walk , visit the ice cream parlor , and on the way home offer his hand , and be accepted . The chapter on `` Courtship -- How to Win the Affections '' advised against haste , and Eliph ' did not wish to be hasty . To a man of his spirit two days seemed rather long to devote to so simple a matter -- a real waste of time -- but he was willing to take longer than necessary , in order to follow the directions in spirit , as well as in letter .