eight o'clock
Poor foolish , thoughtless Hester , she little guessed what seed she had sown , and what a harvest she was preparing for her own reaping by-and-by . A few days after this Hester was much delighted to receive an invitation from her little friends , the Misses Bruce . These good ladies had not forgotten the lonely and miserable child whom they had comforted not a little during her journey to school six weeks ago . They invited Hester to spend the next half-holiday with them , and as this happened to fall on a Saturday , Mrs. Willis gave Hester permission to remain with her friends until eight o'clock , when she would send the carriage to fetch her home . The trouble about Annie had taken place the Wednesday before , and all the girls ' heads were full of the uncleared-up mystery when Hester started on her little expedition . Nothing was known ; no fresh light had been thrown on the subject . Everything went on as usual within the school , and a casual observer would never have noticed the cloud which rested over that usually happy dwelling .