two in the morning
Looking on the photograph she imagined herself as she had been at the time the photograph was made , and dreamed how happy she had been and might still be with him . The words of her companion reminded her what she was now -- reminded her of all the horror of that life which she then felt but confusedly , and would not allow herself to admit . Only now she vividly recalled all those terrible nights , particularly one Shrovetide night . She recalled how she , in a low-cut , wine-bespattered , red silk dress , with a red bow in her dishevelled hair , weak , jaded and tipsy , after dancing attendance upon the guest , had seated herself , at two in the morning , near the thin , bony , pimpled girl-pianist and complained of her hard life . The girl said that her life was also disagreeable to her , and that she wished to change her occupation . Afterward their friend Clara joined them , and all three suddenly decided to change their life . They were about to leave the place when the drunken guests became noisy , the fiddler struck up a lively song of the first figure of a Russian quadrille , the pianist began to thump in unison , a little drunken man in a white necktie and dress coat caught her up .