eight o’clock
I endeavored to call my wounded pride to my aid , and thought over the glance of haughty disdain she gave me as she passed on to her carriage ; but even this turned against me , and a humiliating sense of my own degraded position sank deeply into my heart . `` This impression at least , '' thought I , `` must be effaced . I can not permit her to believe -- '' `` His Excellency is waiting dinner , sir , '' said a lackey , introducing a finely powdered head gently within the door . I looked at my watch , it was eight o'clock ; so snatching my sabre , and shocked at my delay , I hastily followed the servant down-stairs , and thus at once cut short my deliberations . The man must be but little observant or deeply sunk in his own reveries , who , arriving half-an-hour too late for dinner , fails to detect in the faces of the assembled and expectant guests a very palpable expression of discontent and displeasure . It is truly a moment of awkwardness , and one in which few are found to manage with success ; the blushing , hesitating , blundering apology of the absent man , is scarcely better than the ill-affected surprise of the more practised offender . The bashfulness of the one is as distasteful as the cool impertinence of the other ; both are so thoroughly out of place , for we are thinking of neither ; our thoughts are wandering to cold soups and rechaufféd pâtés , and we neither care for nor estimate the cause , but satisfy our spleen by cursing the offender .