six o'clock
But that day was far distant . On the evening of the day on which Peter finished the last of his five attempts to take the London journals by storm Stephen returned from his restaurant earlier than usual -- so early indeed , that Peter , had he not been so bent on his own immediate affairs , must have noticed and questioned it . He might , too , have observed that Stephen , now and again , shot an anxious , troubled glance at him as though he were uneasy about something . But Peter , since six o'clock that evening , at which moment he had written the concluding sentence of `` The Sea Road , '' had been in deep and troubled thought concerning himself , and broke from that introspection , on Stephen 's arrival , in a state of unhappy morbidity and entire self-absorption . Their supper was beer , sardines and cheese . `` It 's been pretty awful here this evening , '' Peter said . `` Old Trubbit on the floor below 's been beating his wife and she 's been screaming like anything .