one hour after noon
The tone of feeling in which the dwarfish hero concluded his story , gave Julian a better opinion of his heart , and even of his understanding , than he had been able to form of one who gloried in having , upon a grand occasion , formed the contents of a pasty . He was indeed enabled to conjecture that the little champion was seduced into such exhibitions , by the necessity attached to his condition , by his own vanity , and by the flattery bestowed on him by those who sought pleasure in practical jokes . The fate of the unlucky Master Crofts , however , as well as various exploits of this diminutive person during the Civil Wars , in which he actually , and with great gallantry , commanded a troop of horse , rendered most men cautious of openly rallying him ; which was indeed the less necessary , as , when left alone , he seldom failed voluntarily to show himself on the ludicrous side . At one hour after noon , the turnkey , true to his word , supplied the prisoners with a very tolerable dinner and a flask of well-flavoured though light claret ; which the old man , who was something of a bon-vivant , regretted to observe , was nearly as diminutive as himself . The evening also passed away , but not without continued symptoms of garrulity on the part of Geoffrey Hudson . It is true these were of a graver character than he had hitherto exhibited , for when the flask was empty , he repeated a long Latin prayer . But the religious act in which he had been engaged , only gave his discourse a more serious turn than belonged to his former themes , of war , lady 's love , and courtly splendour .