a quarter past six
A very bright talker . They can so seldom write ... '' She dozed again . `` Will this intolerable day , '' Mrs. Hilary enquired of the housemaid who came in to make up the fire , `` never be over ? I suppose it will be bed-time _ some time _ ... '' `` It 's just gone a quarter past six , ma'am , '' said the housemaid , offering little hope , and withdrew . Mrs. Hilary went to the window and drew back the curtains and looked out at Marine Crescent in the gloomy , rainy twilight . The long evening stretched in front of her -- the long evening which she had never learnt to use . Psycho-analysis , which had made her so much better while the course lasted , now that it was over -LRB- and it was too expensive to go on with forever -RRB- had left her worse than before .