nine o'clock
Georgia had stolen him and put a ring around his tail , and the lizard was protesting vigorously in a metallic shriek that turned out , after awhile , to be the Belden House breakfast-bell jangling outside her door . `` They never ring the rising-bell as loud as that , '' wailed Betty , when she had consulted her clock and made sure that she had slept over . Before she was dressed Georgia Ames appeared , bringing a delicious breakfast tray . `` Helen said that you have a nine o'clock recitation , '' she exclaimed , `` and I thought you probably had n't studied for it and would be in a dreadful hurry . '' Betty thanked her , feeling very guilty . Georgia was wearing a plain brown jumper dress , with no ornament of any kind , not even a pin to fasten her collar ; and she looked as cool and self-possessed and cheerful as usual . In the sober light of morning it seemed even more than absurd to suppose that she was anything but a nice , jolly girl , like Rachel and K. and Madeline , -- the sort of girl that you associated with Harding College and with the `` Merry Hearts '' and asked to box parties with a nice Yale man , who liked her and invited her to his prom .