nine o’clock
She said that quite likely there might be friends or acquaintances of his at the hop -- such a large affair -- whom he would want to show some attention , and I must take charge of Miss Gage myself , and try to find her other partners . She drilled me in the duties of my position until I believed that I was letter-perfect , and then she said that she supposed I would commit some terrible blunder that would ruin everything . I thought that this was very likely , too , but I would not admit it . The dress came home at nine o'clock , and operated a happy diversion from my imaginable shortcomings ; for it appeared from Mrs. March 's asides to me that it was a perfect horror in the set , and that everybody could see that it had been simply _ slung _ together at the last moment , and she would never , as long as the world stood , go to that woman for anything again . I must say I could not myself see anything wrong about the dress . I thought it exquisite in tint and texture ; a delicate , pale-greenish film that clung and floated , and set off the girl 's beauty as the leafage of a flower heightens the loveliness of a flower . I did not dare to say this in the face of Mrs. March 's private despair , and I was silent while the girl submitted to be twirled about for my inspection like a statue on a revolving pedestal .