eight o'clock
He therefore invited them to a little festival to celebrate the occasion . He had been thinking over the book for seventeen years , had been eight years in writing it , and as it had taken such an important place in his life , he must be pardoned a little vanity about it now . Paul had a written invitation sent him , and he thought the occasion was sufficiently important to come to Berlin on purpose . On the appointed evening they all met at eight o'clock at Borchardt 's in the Franzbsischen Strasse . A dignified waiter , who in appearance and manner looked more like an ambassador , received the guests , and took them into a private room on the left side of the large room above the ground floor . This little room was all lined with red like a jewel case , thick red portieres were over the doors , and the amount of gas with which it was lighted made it rather warmer than was comfortable . A large table with divans on three sides of it nearly filled the room ; it was beautifully decorated and covered with flowers .