six o’clock in the morning
After the practising was over , Signor Billsmethi , and Miss Billsmethi , and Master Billsmethi , and a young lady , and the two ladies , and the two gentlemen , danced a quadrille -- none of your slipping and sliding about , but regular warm work , flying into corners , and diving among chairs , and shooting out at the door , -- something like dancing ! Signor Billsmethi in particular , notwithstanding his having a little fiddle to play all the time , was out on the landing every figure , and Master Billsmethi , when everybody else was breathless , danced a hornpipe , with a cane in his hand , and a cheese-plate on his head , to the unqualified admiration of the whole company . Then , Signor Billsmethi insisted , as they were so happy , that they should all stay to supper , and proposed sending Master Billsmethi for the beer and spirits , whereupon the two gentlemen swore , ` strike 'em wulgar if they 'd stand that ; ' and were just going to quarrel who should pay for it , when Mr. Augustus Cooper said he would , if they 'd have the kindness to allow him -- and they _ had _ the kindness to allow him ; and Master Billsmethi brought the beer in a can , and the rum in a quart pot . They had a regular night of it ; and Miss Billsmethi squeezed Mr. Augustus Cooper 's hand under the table ; and Mr. Augustus Cooper returned the squeeze , and returned home too , at something to six o'clock in the morning , when he was put to bed by main force by the apprentice , after repeatedly expressing an uncontrollable desire to pitch his revered parent out of the second-floor window , and to throttle the apprentice with his own neck-handkerchief . Weeks had worn on , and the seven-and-sixpenny town-mades had nearly worn out , when the night arrived for the grand dress-ball at which the whole of the five-and-seventy pupils were to meet together , for the first time that season , and to take out some portion of their respective four-and-sixpences in lamp-oil and fiddlers . Mr. Augustus Cooper had ordered a new coat for the occasion -- a two-pound-tenner from Turnstile . It was his first appearance in public ; and , after a grand Sicilian shawl-dance by fourteen young ladies in character , he was to open the quadrille department with Miss Billsmethi herself , with whom he had become quite intimate since his first introduction .