eight
o'clock
As he passed back again , the animal leisurely turned its head and gazed at Froyle with its large liquid eyes . He slapped the immense flank . Content , the animal returned to its feed , and the weighted chain ran down with a rattle . The fortnightly meeting of the Slate Club was to take place at eight o'clock that evening . Froyle had employed part of the afternoon in making ready his books for the event , to him always so solemn and ceremonious ; and the affairs of the club were now prominent in his mind . He was sorry that it would be impossible for him to attend the meeting ; fortunately , all the usual preliminaries were complete . He took a piece of notepaper from a little hanging cupboard , and , sprawling across the table , began to write under the lantern .