four o'clock
in the afternoon
Was this masquerading as a black man a further proof of the fascination ? Was it , as it were , a step downwards towards a closer association ? Walker sought to laugh the notion from his mind , but it returned and returned , and here and there an incident occurred to give it strength and colour . For instance , on one occasion after Hatteras had been three weeks absent , Walker sauntered over to the Residency towards four o'clock in the afternoon . Hatteras was trying cases in the court-house , which formed the ground floor of the Residency . Walker stepped into the room . It was packed with a naked throng of blacks , and the heat was overpowering .