eleven o'clock
On these occasions she hired a little parlour and bedroom behind it in King Street , Saint James 's , and lived a hot , uncomfortable life , going about at nights to gatherings of fashionable people of which she in her heart disapproved , seeking for smiles which seldom came to her , and which she excused herself for desiring because they were the smiles of her kith and her kin , telling herself always that she made this vain journey to the modern Babylon for the good of Alice Vavasor , and telling herself as often that she now made it for the last time . On the occasion of her preceding visit she had reminded herself that she was then seventy-five years old , and had sworn to herself that she would come to London no more ; but here she was again in London , having justified the journey to herself on the plea that there were circumstances in Alice 's engagement which made it desirable that she should for a while be near her niece . Her niece , as she thought , was hardly managing her own affairs discreetly . `` Well , aunt , '' said Alice , as the old lady walked into the drawing-room one morning at eleven o'clock . Alice always called Lady Macleod her aunt , though , as has been before explained , there was no such close connexion between them . During Lady Macleod 's sojourn in London these morning visits were made almost every day . Alice never denied herself , and even made a point of remaining at home to receive them unless she had previously explained that she would be out ; but I am not prepared to say that they were , of their own nature , agreeable to her .