seven o’clock
It was very little that Nicholas knew of the world , but he guessed enough about its ways to think , that if he gave Miss La Creevy one little kiss , perhaps she might not be the less kindly disposed towards those he was leaving behind . So , he gave her three or four with a kind of jocose gallantry , and Miss La Creevy evinced no greater symptoms of displeasure than declaring , as she adjusted her yellow turban , that she had never heard of such a thing , and could n't have believed it possible . Having terminated the unexpected interview in this satisfactory manner , Nicholas hastily withdrew himself from the house . By the time he had found a man to carry his box it was only seven o'clock , so he walked slowly on , a little in advance of the porter , and very probably with not half as light a heart in his breast as the man had , although he had no waistcoat to cover it with , and had evidently , from the appearance of his other garments , been spending the night in a stable , and taking his breakfast at a pump . Regarding , with no small curiosity and interest , all the busy preparations for the coming day which every street and almost every house displayed ; and thinking , now and then , that it seemed rather hard that so many people of all ranks and stations could earn a livelihood in London , and that he should be compelled to journey so far in search of one ; Nicholas speedily arrived at the Saracen 's Head , Snow Hill . Having dismissed his attendant , and seen the box safely deposited in the coach-office , he looked into the coffee-room in search of Mr. Squeers . He found that learned gentleman sitting at breakfast , with the three little boys before noticed , and two others who had turned up by some lucky chance since the interview of the previous day , ranged in a row on the opposite seat .