twelve o'clock
` Why , I 'd sooner come to harm myself , ' I says . ` It 's larks , that 's what it is . ' '' ` Well , ' he says , ` I 'll wait till twelve o'clock , and if they 're not back then you must come along with me and find 'em , for there is something wrong . ' `` I never cared a bit about you , my lad , but I could n't sleep no more , and I could n't touch a bit o ' breakfast ; and when twelve o'clock came , Mrs Old Brownsmith 's brother 's wife had been at me with a face as white as noo milk , and she wanted us to go off before . `` We was off at twelve , though , in the light cart and with a fresh horse ; and though I expected to see you every minute along the road , we got back to the public , and asked for you , and found that you had n't been seen . `` Then we put up the hoss and went and looked about the sand-pits , and could see nothing of you there , and we did n't see nothing of the dog . Then we went over the common and searched the wood , and there was no sign .