ten o'clock
I only wanted to cheer little Ru , and I could not stop to think of any other way . '' The appearance of little Rupert in the castle yard diverted attention from his blushing cousin , while friends and relatives crowded round him to scold , applaud , or pet , as they deemed fit . His mother , overcome by the anxiety and suspense of those terrible moments , fainted directly he was brought down to her , but was soon restored , and grew very anxious that the affair should not interfere with the happiness of her guests . Some , indeed , proposed returning at once to Stonegate , but they were overruled by the younger members of the party , who were anxious to remain until the moon had risen , and also by Mrs. Woburn 's desire not to curtail their enjoyment ; and it was finally settled that the steamer should not return until ten o'clock . Tea , coffee , and other refreshments were handed round , and the interrupted games were resumed and carried on until the summer evening grew chilly . The dew began to fall , and gave warning that it was too late for out-of-door sports , and drove them into the shelter of the old castle , where the young people proposed a dance . There was a spacious room in the lower part of the building which had been often used for such a purpose , and after hunting up a village musician and pressing him into their service , hats and wraps were thrown aside and the dancing commenced .