Nine o'clock
He ate his supper to-night with his usual appetite , which had always been sparing ; and he would have eaten the same amount if the Northeastern Railroads had been going into the hands of a receiver the next day . Often he did not exchange a word with Euphrasia between home-coming and bed-going , and this was apparently to be one of these occasions . After supper he went , as usual , to sit on the steps of his porch , and to cut his piece of Honey Dew , which never varied a milligram . Nine o'clock struck , and Euphrasia , who had shut up the back of the house , was on her way to bed with her lamp in her hand , when she came face to face with him in the narrow passageway . `` Where 's Austen ? '' he asked . Euphrasia halted .