Ten o'clock
Now , beside this fire and at a distance , it amazed him that any motive whatever , public or private , should ever have been strong enough to take him out through the mire on these winter nights to spout himself hoarse to a parcel of rustics . `` What did I do it for ? '' he asked himself ; `` what am I going to do it for again to-morrow ? '' Ten o'clock . Mr. Boyce was gone to bed . No more entertaining of _ him _ to be done ; one might be thankful for that mercy . Miss Boyce and her mother would , he supposed , be down directly .