six o'clock
Harriet was sitting quite idle with her little hands in her lap ; we had set her to hemming a ruffle for the missionary 's wife 's dress , but her stitches were so hopelessly uneven that I had quietly taken it from her and told her I was out of work and would do it myself . The poor child had blushed when she gave it up . She evidently knew her deficiencies . Mrs. Jameson read selections from Robert Browning until six o'clock , and by that time Mrs. White had attained to the calmness of despair . At a quarter of six she whispered to me that the biscuits were spoiled , and then her face settled into an expression of stony peace . When Mrs. Jameson finally closed her book there was a murmur which might have been considered expressive of relief or applause , according to the amount of self-complacency of the reader . Mrs. Jameson evidently considered it applause , for she bowed in a highly gracious manner , and remarked : `` I am very glad if I have given you pleasure , ladies , and I shall be more than pleased at some future time to read some other selections even superior to these which I have given , and also to make some remarks upon them . ''