about ten o'clock
Of course my father and mother were very angry with us , and sent Kenna five pounds to partly pay for the damage done . He sent it back by Ruth , and said that he would be a poor creature to take it , for the mishap was caused by Ruth 's folly , and that we boys were in no way to blame . * * * * * Almost every alternate evening Tom May would come to our house , and go to Walter Trenfield 's quarters , which were in a large airy loft over our stable , and the two young men would dress and sew the skins of the wallabies and ` possums which my brothers had shot . My mother never objected to us staying with them till about ten o'clock , and Ruth , too , often came and made coffee for us all . Both May and Trenfield always behaved well and soberly , and although they had been whale-ship sailors they were always very careful in their language when we were with them . Some time before my mother 's angry interview with Mr Sampson she had mentioned , in his hearing , to Major Trenton 's wife , that her boys were greatly attached to the two young men , whose stories of their former sea life were very exciting , and so forth , whereupon the clergyman said sourly that both were dangerous villains who should not be trusted , and she would do well to prevent the further intercourse of her children with such rascals . My mother bowed stiffly to him , and said gently that she thought he was mistaken greatly in their characters ; also she was well able to look after her children 's morals ; but Mrs Trenton , a sharp-tongued old Irishwoman , who hated the parson and loved my mother , spoke out pretty plainly .