seven o'clock
Knowing that Sir Thomas was accustomed to take his _ siesta _ immediately after dinner , which was usually at five -- for he followed a fashion of his own in this respect , which has , since his time , become popular -- and that the gardener left at six , he lurked about the grounds till after that period , and then , easily getting into the garden , thought it prudent to see how the land lay before he proceeded to his labour of love . The house of Merton was an old-fashioned building ; or rather series of buildings erected at different times ; and the present possessor , who had a fancy for horticulture , had added an apartment , which opened by a glass-door upon a terrace , from which , by descending a few steps , he entered the garden . This room was , necessarily , remote from the rest of the mansion , and here Sir Thomas uniformly dined , summer and winter . After dinner was removed , and the dessert and wine placed on the table , the servants withdrew , and were forbidden to enter till seven o'clock , when coffee was served . Of all this Tom was perfectly cognisant . Now Tom asserted that , as a precautionary measure , he resolved to peep into the room in question , to ascertain whether Sir Thomas was asleep before he took his boyish revenge ; and seeing the glass-door which led into the garden open , he proceeded , cautiously and slowly , till he got there , when , looking in , he observed his old enemy lying on the floor on his face . Astonished at this , and forgetting all sense of personal risk , he advanced to raise the baronet , when he discovered that he was dead , and a knife lying beside the body , which he picked up .