three o'clock
To do this task with dexterity and tact was the crowning feature of the craft , and in such hasty journalism some attained a high proficiency ; seasoning their scandal with sly bits of drollery or quaint allusions to the current topics of the day . To succeed in this , it was necessary to know the leading characters of the town and the circumstances of their private history ; and these I set myself to learn with the assiduity of a study . Never did a Bath Master of the Ceremonies devote himself more ardently to the investigation of the faults and foibles of his company ; never did young lady , before coming out , more patiently pore over Debrett , than did I pursue my researches into Dublin life and manners ; until at last , what between oral evidence and shrewd observation , I had a key to the secret mysteries of nearly every well-known house in the city . None like me to explain why the father of the dashing family in Stephen 's Green only appeared of a Sunday ; how the blinds of No. 18 were always drawn down at three o'clock ; and what meant the hackney-coach at the canal bridge every Thursday afternoon . From the gentleman that always wore a geranium leaf in his coat , to the lady who dropped her glove in the Square , I knew them all . Nor was it merely that I possessed the knowledge , but I made it to be felt . I did not hoard my wealth like a miser , but I came forth like a great capitalist to stimulate enterprise and encourage credit .