eight o'clock in the morning
That evening there was very little talking , singing , and dancing at the Elorza tertulia . Virtue , stern by nature , does not approve of noisy demonstrations . The young people of both sexes expressed the deep , pure satisfaction with which their sacrifice had inspired them by an ineffable severity , making them demure and silent the most of the time , as though they were meditating deeply on some Gospel text . Great , therefore , must have been the displeasure felt by all when Don Mariano said to them at the last moment : -- `` Ladies and gentlemen , Thursday , at eight o'clock in the morning , I should be greatly pleased to have you meet at the quay , properly provided with hats , parasols , wraps , and so forth and so forth . Nothing is more likely than that the sailors of my falúa will be anxious to take us down to El Moral , and , as you well know , it would n't be polite to disappoint them . '' The tertulia deplored this determination which deprived them of making a sacrifice for the universal brotherhood , and manifested it with a running fire of laughter , remarks , and disorderly movements : `` What a man Don Mariano is ! '' `` He always has to be playing these jokes ! ''