eleven o'clock
I must tell her how Mrs. Lapham done her out of a cool four hundred dollars . '' He started toward the door of the drawing-room to take leave of the ladies ; but Tom Corey was at his elbow , saying , `` I think Mrs. Lapham is waiting for you below , sir , '' and in obeying the direction Corey gave him toward another door he forgot all about his purpose , and came away without saying good-night to his hostess . Mrs. Lapham had not known how soon she ought to go , and had no idea that in her quality of chief guest she was keeping the others . She stayed till eleven o'clock , and was a little frightened when she found what time it was ; but Mrs. Corey , without pressing her to stay longer , had said it was not at all late . She and Irene had had a perfect time . Everybody had been very polite , on the way home they celebrated the amiability of both the Miss Coreys and of Miss Kingsbury . Mrs. Lapham thought that Mrs. Bellingham was about the pleasantest person she ever saw ; she had told her all about her married daughter who had married an inventor and gone to live in Omaha -- a Mrs. Blake .