nine in the evening
By eight o'clock you could not see two paces ahead . On Wednesday morning the fog was denser than it had been the night before . There was no sign of its abatement , not a puff of wind elbowed its way through the yellow drift , and the cold was intense . The prospect of leaving a comfortable home at nine in the evening to undertake a journey of some two miles , clad in habiliments which , while highly ornamental , were about as protective from cold as a grape-skin rug , was anything but alluring . For reasons of my own , however , I was determined to get to the Ball . My sister , whom nothing daunted , and Jill , who was wild with excitement , and had promised readily to reserve more dances than could possibly be rendered , were equally firm . Jonah thought it a fool 's game , and said as much .