nine o'clock
It was the last week in August when John Levine was summoned before the commission . Lydia and Amos were summoned with him . Lydia was frightened , Amos was irritable and sullen by turns after the summons finally came . They were due at the hearing at nine o'clock and arrived a little late . Amos had refused to be hurried . The room in which the hearing was held was big and cool , with a heavily carpeted floor and walls lined with black walnut bookcases . There were two long tables at one end of the room behind one of which sat the three commissioners .