seven o'clock
I shall be in the city till five . Well , Frederick , you may tell your mother that I will do myself the pleasure of calling on her after tea . '' He took his pen without another word , but smiled when Fred exclaimed , warmly , -- `` Thank you , sir ; '' and then went on with his writing . Exactly at seven o'clock he drove to the door . `` I told my partners , '' he said to the lady , `` what I knew of the lad ; and , though we do n't really need another hand , yet they gave up to the whims of an old man , who has taken a fancy to a boy that says ` thank you ' so earnestly . I 've had my eye on the lad for a good many years ; and he may enter the store of Long , Haynes , & Long as soon as he pleases . '' Neither Mrs. Carleton nor her son failed to express their gratitude to the kind old gentleman for acceding so cheerfully to their wishes .