nine
o'clock
My very knees give way under me . '' Upon this admission , Ashmead hurried her to bed . She slept soundly for some hours ; but , having once awakened , she fell into a half-sleepless state , and was full of dreams and fancies . These preyed on her so , that she rose and dispatched a servant to Ashmead , with a line in pencil begging him to take an early breakfast with her , at nine o'clock . As soon as ever he came she began upon the topic of last night . She had thought it over , and said , frankly , she was not without hopes the gentleman , if he was really a gentleman , might be contented with something less than half . But she really did not see how she could refuse him some share of her winnings , should he demand it .