About nine o'clock
The unfortunate beau thanked him for his friendship , and returning to us , acquainted us with the substance of this dialogue ; while the constable , desiring to speak in private with our adversary , carried her into the next room , and pleaded , our cause so effectually , that she condescended to make him umpire : he accordingly proposed an arbitration , to which we gave our assent ; and he fined each party in three shillings , to be laid out in a bowl of punch , wherein we drowned all animosities , to the inexpressible joy of my two late acquaintances and me , who had been extremely uneasy ever since Jackson mentioned Bridewell and Newgate . By the time we had finished our bowl -- to which , by the bye , I had contributed my last shilling -- it was morning , and I proposed to move homeward , when the constable gave me to understand , he could discharge no prisoners but by order of the justice , before whom we must appear . This renewed my chagrin , and I cursed the hour in which I had yielded to Jackson 's invitation . About nine o'clock , we were escorted to the house of a certain justice not many miles distant from Covent Garden , who no sooner saw the constable enter with a train of prisoners at his heels , than he saluted him as follows : `` So Mr. Constable , you are a diligent man . What den of rogues have you been scouring ? '' Then looking at us , who appeared very much dejected , he continued : `` Ay , ay , thieves . I see -- old offenders ; oh , your humble servant , Mrs. Harridan !