five o'clock
It was in the autumn of the year 1828 , that an elderly and infirm gentleman was slowly pacing up and down in a large dining-room . He had apparently finished his dinner , although it was not yet five o'clock , and the descending sun shone bright and warm through the windows , which were level with the ground , and from which there was a view of a spacious park , highly ornamented with old timber . He held a newspaper in one hand , and had the other behind his back , as if for support , for he was bent forward , and looked very feeble and emaciated . After pacing for some time , he sat down in an easy chair and remained in deep thought , holding the newspaper in both his hands . This old gentleman 's name was Sir Charles Wilmot .