six o'clock
Politics were entirely eschewed , for party feeling ran too high for so dangerous a subject to be broached at a gathering at which both whigs and tories were present . Rupert sat near one end of the table , with the eldest son of the host . As a matter of course they kept absolute silence in an assembly of their elders , only answering shortly and respectfully when spoken to . When dinner was over , however , and the ladies rose , they slipped away to a quiet room , and made up for their long silence by chatting without cessation of their dogs , and hawks , and sports , until at six o'clock the coach came round to the door , and Rupert , again donning his cloak and riding boots , mounted his horse , and rode slowly off after the carriage . Slow as the progress had been in the daytime , it was slower now . The heavy coach jolted over great lumps of rough stone , and bumped into deep ruts , with a violence which would shake a modern vehicle to pieces . Sometimes , where the road was peculiarly bad , the lackeys would get down , light torches at the lanterns that hung below the box , and show the way until the road improved .