ten o'clock
They were but moths , fluttering about in their own doom , contending with each other to see which should quickest achieve destruction . For several minutes Aldous scanned the faces in the big tent-hall , and nowhere did he see DeBar . He dropped out , and continued leisurely along the lighted way until he came to Lovak 's huge black-and-white striped soup-tent . At ten o'clock , and until twelve , this was as crowded as the dance-hall . Aldous knew Lovak , the Hungarian . Through Lovak he had found the key that had unlocked for him many curious and interesting things associated with that powerful Left Arm of the Empire Builders -- the Slav . Except for a sprinkling of Germans , a few Italians , and now and then a Greek or Swiss , only the Slavs filled Lovak 's place !