nine o'clock
He knew there was no danger of the trial that she feared , and would have been glad to tell her so ; but he felt that it was too delicate a subject for him to venture on ; it might seem too much like meddling in Mr. Dinsmore 's affairs . But he did the next best thing -- got the four little girls into a corner , and tried to entertain them with stories and charades . Elsie seemed interested for a time , but every now and then her eyes would wander to the other side of the room , where her father still stood listening to Miss Stevens ' music . At length Mr. Travilla was called away to give his opinion about some tableaux the young ladies were arranging ; and Elsie , knowing it was her usual time for retiring , and not caring to avail herself of her father 's permission to stay up until nine o'clock , stole quietly away to her room unobserved by any one , and feeling as if Miss Stevens had already robbed her of her father . She wiped away a few quiet tears , as she went , and was very silent and sad , while her mammy was preparing her for bed . She hardly knew how to do without her good-night kiss , but feeling as she did , it had seemed quite impossible to ask for it while Miss Stevens was so near him . When she knelt down to pray , she became painfully conscious that a feeling of positive dislike to that lady had been creeping into her heart , and she asked earnestly to be enabled to put it away .