three o'clock in the
morning
As a matter of fact , I 'm going down there to-morrow , and I 've got to telegraph to my place in any case to tell them when to meet me . I 'll send the telegram first thing , and I 'll make them send one back to say whether there 's room in the cottage or not . '' I thanked him warmly , but asked if the cottage was close to Kirby Hall , and whether this would not be giving a deal of trouble at the other end ; whereupon he mischievously misunderstood me a second time , saying the cottage and the hall were not even in sight of each other , and I really had no intrusion to fear , as he was a lonely bachelor like myself , and would only be up there four or five days at the most . So I made my appreciation of his society plainer than ever to him ; for indeed I had found a more refreshing pleasure in it already than I had hoped to derive from mortal man again ; and we parted , at three o'clock in the morning , like old fast friends . `` Only do n't expect too much , my dear Mr. Cole , '' were his last words to me . `` My own place is as ancient and as tumble-down as most ruins that you pay to see over . And I 'm never there myself because -- I tell you frankly -- I hate it like poison ! ''