one o'clock
The guests became hungry , peevish , and gloomy , while an excellent dinner continued spoiling before them . Mrs. Elliot , whose good-nature was the most prominent feature in her character , strove , by every possible effort , to beguile the unpleasant impressions she perceived gathering upon their countenances . `` Peter is just as bad as him , '' she remarked , `` to hae gane to seek him when he kenned the dinner wouldna keep . And I 'm sure Thomas kenned it would be ready at one o'clock to a minute . It 's sae unthinking and unfriendly like to keep folk waiting . '' And , endeavouring to smile upon a beautiful black-haired girl of seventeen , who sat by her elbow , she continued in an anxious whisper -- `` Did ye see naething o ' him , Elizabeth , hinny ? '' The maiden blushed deeply ; the question evidently gave freedom to a tear , which had , for some time , been an unwilling prisoner in the brightest eyes in the room ; and the monosyllable , `` No , '' that trembled from her lips , was audible only to the ear of the inquirer .