about noon
`` What a life ! what a dog 's life ! '' I would frequently exclaim , after escaping from the presence of the publisher . One day , after a scene with the publisher similar to that which I have described above , I found myself about noon at the bottom of Oxford Street , where it forms a right angle with the road which leads or did lead to Tottenham Court . Happening to cast my eyes around , it suddenly occurred to me that something uncommon was expected ; people were standing in groups on the pavement -- the upstair windows of the houses were thronged with faces , especially those of women , and many of the shops were partly , and not a few entirely closed . What could be the reason of all this ? All at once I bethought me that this street of Oxford was no other than the far-famed Tyburn way .