eight o'clock
As for me , there should only be the grey of her plots of lavender , -- lavender that is dried and put away in a drawer , and more often than not helps to give fragrance to the poor corpse ready for burial ! '' He sighed , and opened his Homer . Greek , for once , failed to ease his heartache , and the Iliad seemed singularly over-strained and deadly dull . That evening before joining her guests at the usual eight o'clock repast , Maryllia told Cicely Bourne of the disagreeable ` surprise ' which had been treacherously contrived for her at Sir Morton Pippitt 's tea-party by the unexpected presence of the loathed wooer whom she sought to avoid . `` Margaret Bludlip Courtenay must certainly have known he was to be there , '' -- she said -- `` And I think , from her look , Eva Beaulyon knew also . But neither of them gave me a hint . And now if I were to say anything they would only laugh and declare that they ` thought it would be fun . '