noon
The talented Tippin having condescendingly acknowledged the clapping of hands , and shouts of ` bravo ! ' which greeted her appearance , proceeded to sing the popular cavatina of ` Bid me discourse , ' accompanied on the piano by Mr. Tippin ; after which , Mr. Tippin sang a comic song , accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Tippin : the applause consequent upon which , was only to be exceeded by the enthusiastic approbation bestowed upon an air with variations on the guitar , by Miss Tippin , accompanied on the chin by Master Tippin . Thus passed the evening ; thus passed the days and evenings of the Tuggses , and the Waterses , for six weeks . Sands in the morning -- donkeys at noon -- pier in the afternoon -- library at night -- and the same people everywhere . On that very night six weeks , the moon was shining brightly over the calm sea , which dashed against the feet of the tall gaunt cliffs , with just enough noise to lull the old fish to sleep , without disturbing the young ones , when two figures were discernible -- or would have been , if anybody had looked for them -- seated on one of the wooden benches which are stationed near the verge of the western cliff . The moon had climbed higher into the heavens , by two hours ' journeying , since those figures first sat down -- and yet they had moved not . The crowd of loungers had thinned and dispersed ; the noise of itinerant musicians had died away ; light after light had appeared in the windows of the different houses in the distance ; blockade-man after blockade-man had passed the spot , wending his way towards his solitary post ; and yet those figures had remained stationary .