nine o'clock
Nature however , with characteristic inconsistency , had never intended Miss Louise Bellemare , for a beauty . But nature proposes , and art disposes . There are those among that crowd of beauty and _ éclat _ to-night , who would not attempt to dispute the omnipotence of Belladonna , or _ blanc-de-perle _ , or any other item of the homely girl 's toilet repertoire , for it would have gladdened the eyes of the inventors of these cosmetics , if they could have beheld for an instant the charming effect produced , by the skilful use of their Helps to Beauty . It is now quite on the late side of nine o'clock , and the night 's sport has fairly begun . Young men , pencils in hands are standing before their favorite acquaintances , soliciting the favor of `` at least one ` dance , ' for me , you know . '' The first waltz is in full progress . The inviting strains of the `` Loved and Lost , '' are floating through the air , and the room is alive with the `` poetry of motion . ''