nine in the morning
She seemed to think it was some new sort of a game . When the prima donna raised her arms , the child raised hers ; when the prima donna courtesied , she stumbled into one , and straightened herself just in time to get the curls out of her eyes , and to see that the prima donna was laughing at her , and to smile cheerfully back as if to say , `` WE are doing our best anyway , are n't we ? '' She had big , gentle eyes and two wonderful dimples , and in the excitement of the dancing and the singing her eyes laughed and flashed , and the dimples deepened and disappeared and reappeared again . She was as happy and innocent looking as though it were nine in the morning and she were playing school at a kindergarten . From all over the house the women were murmuring their delight , and the men were laughing and pulling their mustaches and nudging each other to `` look at the littlest one . '' The girls in the wings were rapturous in their enthusiasm , and were calling her absurdly extravagant titles of endearment , and making so much noise that Kripps stopped grinning at her from the entrance , and looked back over his shoulder as he looked when he threatened fines and calls for early rehearsal . And when she had finished finally , and the prima donna and the children ran off together , there was a roar from the house that went to Lester 's head like wine , and seemed to leap clear across the footlights and drag the children back again .