about one o'clock in the
afternoon
After some time , feeling myself in better spirits , I determined to pay another visit to the landlord of the public-house . From the position of his affairs when I had last visited him , I entertained rather gloomy ideas with respect to his present circumstances . I imagined that I should either find him alone in his kitchen smoking a wretched pipe , or in company with some surly bailiff or his follower , whom his friend the brewer had sent into the house in order to take possession of his effects . Nothing more entirely differing from either of these anticipations could have presented itself to my view than what I saw about one o'clock in the afternoon , when I entered the house . I had come , though somewhat in want of consolation myself , to offer any consolation which was at my command to my acquaintance Catchpole , and perhaps , like many other people who go to a house with ` drops of compassion trembling on their eyelids , ' I felt rather disappointed at finding that no compassion was necessary . The house was thronged with company , the cries for ale and porter , hot brandy and water , cold gin and water , were numerous ; moreover , no desire to receive and not to pay for the landlord 's liquids was manifested -- on the contrary , everybody seemed disposed to play the most honourable part : ` Landlord , here 's the money for this glass of brandy and water -- do me the favour to take it ; all right , remember I have paid you . ' ` Landlord , here 's the money for the pint of half-and-half -- four-pence halfpenny , a ` nt it ?