ten o'clock
The good-by call the following evening was , to him at least , not very satisfactory . Helen was tired , having been busy all day with the final preparations for leaving , and old Mr. Kendall insisted on being present during the entire visit and in telling long and involved stories of the trip abroad he had made when a young man and the unfavorable opinion which he had then formed of Prussians as traveling companions . Albert 's opinion of Prussians was at least as unfavorable as his own , but his complete and even eager agreement with each of the old gentleman 's statements did not have the effect of choking the latter off , but rather seemed to act as encouragement for more . When ten o'clock came and it was time to go Albert felt as if he had been listening to a lecture on the Hohenzollerns . `` Great Scott , Helen , '' he whispered , as she came to the door with him , `` I do n't feel as if I had talked with you a minute . Why , I scarcely -- '' But just here Mr. Kendall came hurrying from the sitting-room to tell of one incident which he had hitherto forgotten , and so even this brief interval of privacy was denied . But Albert made one more attempt .