five o'clock
I 've got the _ Family Jest-Book _ at home ; we might pick a few things out of that , and then settle where they come in , and work in for them as we go on . '' We accordingly made a judicious selection , and having marked the initials of the character who was to bring them in against each , and also the number of the chapter in which they were to `` come on , '' we really felt as if everything was now ready for our venture . We went to bed early , so as to get a good night and arise fresh to our work , not , however , before we had made an expedition to the stationer 's and expended half a crown in manuscript paper , J and D pens , blotting - paper , blue-black ink , and forty small paper-fasteners . These provided , and the servant being particularly charged to call us at five o'clock , we retired to rest , and slept with our `` skeleton '' under the pillow . A grave question arose the moment we opened our eyes next morning . Who was to write the first chapter ? A great deal depended on how it was done .