about
midday
Comforted in some degree by these hopeful imaginings , I retired to my tent , and went to sleep . Nothing occurred to me of any particular moment during the following day . Isopel Berners did not return ; but Mr. Petulengro and his companions came home from the fair early in the morning . When I saw him , which was about midday , I found him with his face bruised and swelled . It appeared that , some time after I had left him , he himself perceived that the jockeys with whom he was playing cards were cheating him and his companion ; a quarrel ensued , which terminated in a fight between Mr. Petulengro and one of the jockeys , which lasted some time , and in which Mr. Petulengro , though he eventually came off victor , was considerably beaten . His bruises , in conjunction with his pecuniary loss , which amounted to about seven pounds , were the cause of his being much out of humour ; before night , however , he had returned to his usual philosophic frame of mind , and , coming up to me as I was walking about , apologised for his behaviour on the preceding day , and assured me that he was determined , from that time forward , never to quarrel with a friend for giving him good advice . Two more days passed , and still Isopel Berners did not return .