ten o'clock
Mrs. Menotti never saw Rico entering the garden but she ran towards him , for now she was at liberty to move about freely ; and she always drew him a little aside to tell him what a treasure he had brought into the house for her , how happy and gay her Silvio had become , and that she never would have believed that such a girl as Stineli existed on the face of the earth ; for with Silvio she was as merry as if her only pleasure consisted in playing the little games he liked , while she was as wise and intelligent as any grown woman with Mrs. Menotti , and understood housework so that it all seemed to go on of its own accord ; and nicely , too , as if every day were Sunday . In short , Mrs. Menotti could not find words enough to praise Stineli in all the ways in which she found her admirable ; and Rico was always happy in listening to these praises . When they all sat together in the pleasant room , and exchanged loving and happy glances , they felt that they never wanted to be separated , and called themselves the happiest family in the whole world , and needed for nothing . But the clouds on Rico 's brow grew dark as night came on , and towards ten o'clock every thing looked black and blacker ; and even if Mrs. Menotti , in her contentment , did not notice it , Stineli did , and secretly worried over it , thinking , `` It is just as if there were a thunder-storm in the air . '' It was a beautiful Sunday in autumn , and across the Lake of Riva there was to be a `` dance evening , '' and Rico was to go over there to play ; so he would not be able to pass the day with Stineli and the rest . They talked this over and over through the week , for it was a great trial to them all when Rico did not come for Sunday ; and Stineli tried to find all sorts of little reasons to reconcile Rico , and to make the affair seem less unpleasant . `` You will go across the lake in the sunlight , and return under the beautiful stars ; and we shall be thinking of you the whole time , '' she said to him , when he first mentioned that he should be away on Sunday .