five minutes after three o’clock
But there could be but one outcome of such advice to John Mayrant : two people , instead of one , would be in bed suffering from contusions . As I mused on the boy and his attractive and appealing character , I became more rejoiced than ever that he had thrashed somebody , I cared not very much who nor yet very much why , so long as such thrashing had been thorough , which seemed quite evidently and happily the case . He stood now in my eyes , in some way that is too obscure for me to be able to explain to you , saved from some reproach whose subtlety likewise eludes my powers of analysis . It was already five minutes after three o'clock , my dinner hour , when he at length appeared in the Library ; and possibly I put some reproach into my greeting : `` Wo n't you walk along with me to Mrs. Trevise 's ? '' -LRB- That was my boarding house . -RRB- `` I could not get away from the Custom House sooner , '' he explained ; and into his eyes there came for a moment that look of unrest and preoccupation which I had observed at times while we had discussed Newport and alcoholic girls . The two subjects seemed certainly far enough apart !