a quarter
to ten
Tramping through the house alone , that woman would be assigning rooms to their different owners , as if she were already in possession ; but with Mrs. Durlacher , the perfect artist , as Jack had called her -- she laughed unfeelingly when that phrase came back to her mind -- with herself at the woman 's heels , telling her what they did with this room and how in the hunting season they used that , there would be little scope for exhibition of the proprietary sentiment and , whoever the person might be , Mrs. Durlacher guaranteed she should not shine on that occasion before her brother . For that day , then , she had cancelled all her engagements . The opening of the bazaar , a function at which she had felt it her duty to be present , she crossed out of her book . From the dinner , to which she and her husband had been asked on the evening previous to Traill 's visit to Apsley , she wrote and excused herself , saying she had been called out of Town ; and on the next morning she had ordered the car to be round at the house in Sloane Street punctually at a quarter to ten . `` Ca n't see why you have to give up the dinner and drive me out of it as well because you have to go down to Apsley to-morrow , '' her husband had said when she had written to her hostess excusing their presence at dinner . `` The reason 's obvious , '' she replied equably . `` I have n't had a good night 's rest for a week -- I ca n't sleep after eight o'clock in the morning like you do , and I 've got a woman to deal with to-morrow .