eleven o'clock
He and Chris were both too excited to play ; they stayed in the house most of the time and questioned Mother ` Larkey about what she had seen at the circus the time her husband had taken her to one in the city . She was busy sewing on a dress for Mrs. Johnson which was wanted by Saturday night and was at length obliged to send them out of doors with orders to stay out until dinner was ready . They soon exhausted each other 's conversation relative to circuses and their knowledge and guesses about what they would see , and fell silent . And the minutes dragged their slow length out towards eleven o'clock . They could smell the mush and potatoes frying for their early dinner when Danny returned from the circus ground . They knew at once that he had n't succeeded in getting a `` ticket to paradise '' , as Mother ` Larkey had called their circus passes , nevertheless Chris asked : `` Did you get a ticket ? '' `` No , '' replied Danny , sitting down dejectedly .