seven
o'clock
In the winter terms bad weather often interfered with outdoor sports , but every alternate Saturday evening a reception was held in the drawing-room between the hours of seven and nine thirty , on which occasions thirty pupils dressed for the fray with gleeful anticipation , and the thirty - first with trembling foreboding , for it was she who was chosen to play the part of hostess and take sole management and responsibility of the entertainment . All pupils in the fourth and fifth term were considered old enough to be hostesses , so that no girl was called upon to play the part more than twice a year ; but when the great occasions arrived , ambition mingled with nervousness , and the heroine of the hour , calling to mind the errors and failings of her companions , determined to profit by them , and achieve a brilliant success for herself . The duties of the hostess were sufficiently onerous . She was responsible for the arrangement of flowers in the drawing-room , could distribute chairs and sofas as she thought fit , and punctually at seven o'clock must be on duty prepared to receive her guests and direct the passing round of tea and coffee . The first hour was dedicated to conversation ; for the second , some form of amusement must be designed and arranged , and lastly , a sum of ten shillings had to be so expended as to provide some form of light refreshment which should be consumed before the company dispersed . To take the last duty first , ten shillings divided into thirty portions -LRB- the younger pupils were not allowed to stay up for `` supper '' -RRB- did not allow a very handsome sum per head ! Most hostesses came down and down in their ambition until they reached the ignominious level of lemonade and buns , but there had been occasional daring flights of fancy , as when Nancy had provided thirty large sausage rolls , and the poor sufferers whose digestions forbade playing with such dainties last thing at night found no choice offered to them , and were obliged to retire to bed hungry and wrathful .