five
o'clock
When Mrs. Jameson finally closed her book there was a murmur which might have been considered expressive of relief or applause , according to the amount of self-complacency of the reader . Mrs. Jameson evidently considered it applause , for she bowed in a highly gracious manner , and remarked : `` I am very glad if I have given you pleasure , ladies , and I shall be more than pleased at some future time to read some other selections even superior to these which I have given , and also to make some remarks upon them . '' There was another murmur , which might have been of pleasure at the prospect of the future reading , or the respite from the present one ; I was puzzled to know which it did mean . We always had our supper at our sewing meetings at precisely five o'clock , and now it was an hour later . Mrs. White rose and went out directly , and Flora Clark and I followed her to assist . We began laying the table as fast as we could , while Mrs. White was cutting the cake . The ladies of the society brought the cake and pie , and Mrs. White furnished the bread and tea .