ten o'clock
They bother me . '' He threw off his depression and took up a volume of Artemus Ward 's funny sayings to refresh his soul with their quaint humor . He must laugh or die . He had promised to see Betty Winter with a friend who had a petition to present at ten o'clock . He would rest until she came . John Vaughan had insisted on her coming at this unusual hour . She protested , but he declared the chances of success in asking for his father 's release would be infinitely better if she took advantage of the President 's good nature and saw him alone at night when they would not be interrupted .