noon
As he had no money to spare and a deep aversion to debt , he was not tempted into joining in the time-wasting dissipations that were now open to him . He worked hard at his profession and , when he left the office , usually went direct to his rooms to read until far into the morning . He was often busy sixteen hours out of the twenty-four . His day at reporting was long -- from noon until midnight , and frequently until three in the morning . But the work was far different from the grind which is the lot of the young men striving in other professions or in business . It was the most fascinating work imaginable for an intelligent , thirsty mind -- the study of human nature under stress of the great emotions . His mode of thought and his style made Mr. Bowring and Mr. King give him much of this particular kind of reporting .