ten o'clock
To ordinary observers she was just a pleasant girl with no pretensions to beauty ; to him she was obviously the most lovely of her sex . He had no attention to spare for Claire or the other ladies present ; he was absorbed in watching Janet , waiting for opportunities to serve Janet , listening eagerly to Janet 's words . It is not often that an unengaged lover is so transparent in his devotion , but Malcolm Heward was supremely indifferent to the fact that he betrayed his feelings . At ten o'clock Claire rose to take leave , and Mrs Willoughby made a request . `` I am going to ask you to do me a favour , dear . A friend is having a Sale of Work at her house for a charity in which we are both interested , and she has asked me to help . It is on a Saturday afternoon and evening , and I wondered if I might ask you to take part in the little concerts .