nearly three o'clock
Teacher professed herself too grieved and surprised to continue the interrupted story , and Patrick was held responsible for the substitution of a brisk mental arithmetic test in which he was easily distanced by every boy and girl in the room . But Isaac was still silent . No halcyon suggestion beginning , `` Suppose I were to give you a dollar and you spent half of it for candy , '' no imaginary shopping orgie , could tempt him into speech . It was nearly three o'clock when at last he found his voice . In an idle inspection of his new desk he came upon one of those combinations of a pen , a pencil , and an eraser , which gladden the young and aggravate the old . It was one of Patrick 's greatest treasures and had long been Eva 's envious desire , and now Patrick , chained to the side of his indignant Teacher , saw this precious , delicate , and stubborn mechanism at the mercy of his clumsy successor . Isaac wrenched and twisted without avail ; Patrick 's wrath grew dark ; Eva shyly proffered assistance ; Patrick 's jealousy flamed hot .