nine
o'clock
There seemed to be always an invisible barrier between them . Still , she was there , and he meant to make the most of his opportunities ; and if the plans which had been made bore fruit , he trusted that he would see a great deal of her in the future . The party that sat round the dinner table was gay , but no reference was made to the ostensible object of Mr. Bolitho 's visit . When nine o'clock came , however , it was evident that there were several new-comers , and presently the two Wilsons led the way to the library , while Mr. Bolitho followed with a half-interested , half-bored look on his face . He shook hands with a number of men who had gathered in the room . Evidently they were nearly all opulent , keen-minded , successful men , but he could not help feeling pleased at the deference which each of them paid to him . Even as they did , he realised that he was not of their class .