four o'clock
The four o'clock bell was sounding up the staircase and down the passages of Saint Dominic 's school . It was a minute behind its time , and had old Roach , the school janitor , guessed at half the abuse privately aimed at his devoted head for this piece of negligence , he might have pulled the rope with a good deal more vivacity than he at present displayed . At the signal there was a general shuffling of feet and uproar of voices -- twelve doors swung open almost simultaneously , and next moment five hundred boys poured out , flooding the staircases and passages , shouting , scuffling , and laughing , and throwing off by one easy effort the restraint and gravity of the last six hours . The usual rush and scramble ensued .