the hour
of ten
He appointed General Triscoe to the chief seat ; he would have put his daughter next to him , if the girl had not insisted upon Mrs. March 's having the place , and going herself to sit next to March , whom she said she had not been able to speak a word to the whole evening . But she did not talk a great deal to him ; he smiled to find how soon he dropped out of the conversation , and Burnamy , from his greater remoteness across the table , dropped into it . He really preferred the study of Stoller , whose instinct of a greater worldly quality in the Triscoes interested him ; he could see him listening now to what General Triscoe was saying to Mrs. March , and now to what Burnamy was saying to Miss Triscoe ; his strong , selfish face , as he turned it on the young people , expressed a mingled grudge and greed that was very curious . Stoller 's courage , which had come and gone at moments throughout , rose at the end , and while they lingered at the table well on to the hour of ten , he said , in the sort of helpless offence he had with Burnamy , `` What 's the reason we ca n't all go out tomorrow to that old castle you was talking about ? '' `` To Engelhaus ? I do n't know any reason , as far as I 'm concerned , '' answered Burnamy ; but he refused the initiative offered him , and Stoller was obliged to ask March : `` You heard about it ? '' `` Yes . ''