seven
o'clock
Wanting to ! Archie Anderson had longed to hear Ventnor ever since he first drew a bow across the strings . He could hardly wait until the night of the great concert . Owing to the extreme heat of the summer he had been taking his lessons late in the evening , but on this eventful night his teacher , himself anxious to go , told Archie to come at seven o'clock ; he could then give him a full hour , and the lesson would be over in plenty of time for them both to attend the concert at half-past eight . The lesson was trying and the excitement was beginning to tell on the boy , so , without returning home , he went straight to the hall , his violin case tucked under his arm . Purposely he had engaged a seat in the very first row ; he wanted to watch the great master 's marvellous fingers , as well as drink in the music they made . Even at eight o'clock the hall was so packed that he could hardly get through the aisles .