nine
o’clock
But everything slipped out of her hands , and she was still sitting half-dressed before her looking-glass when she was summoned to morning tea . She went down ; her mother noticed her pallor , but only said : ` How interesting you are to-day , ' and taking her in in a glance , she added : ` How well that dress suits you ; you should always put it on when you want to make an impression on any one . ' Elena made no reply , and sat down in a corner . Meanwhile it struck nine o'clock ; there were only two haurs now till eleven . Elena tried to read , then to sew , then to read again , then she vowed to herself to walk a hundred times up and down one alley , and paced it a hundred times ; then for a long time she watched Anna Vassilyevna laying out the cards for patience ... and looked at the clock ; it was not yet ten . Shubin came into the drawing-room . She tried to talk to him , and begged his pardon , what for she did not know herself ... .