six o'clock in the morning
I wish she was alive , to ride in Jos 's carriage once again . She kept her own and became it very well . '' And his eyes filled with tears , which trickled down his furrowed old face . Amelia wiped them away , and smilingly kissed him , and tied the old man 's neckcloth in a smart bow , and put his brooch into his best shirt frill , in which , in his Sunday suit of mourning , he sat from six o'clock in the morning awaiting the arrival of his son . However , when the postman made his appearance , the little party were put out of suspense by the receipt of a letter from Jos to his sister , who announced that he felt a little fatigued after his voyage , and should not be able to move on that day , but that he would leave Southampton early the next morning and be with his father and mother at evening . Amelia , as she read out the letter to her father , paused over the latter word ; her brother , it was clear , did not know what had happened in the family . Nor could he , for the fact is that , though the Major rightly suspected that his travelling companion never would be got into motion in so short a space as twenty-four hours , and would find some excuse for delaying , yet Dobbin had not written to Jos to inform him of the calamity which had befallen the Sedley family , being occupied in talking with Amelia until long after post-hour .