About eight o'clock
The evening was rather dull . There was a sort of put-in-order-for - company air about the parlor , which made everybody stiff . Mrs. Page did not sew or read , but sat in a low chair looking like a lady in a fashion plate , and asked questions about Hillsover , some of which were not easy to answer , as , for example , `` Have you any other intimate friends among the school-girls beside Lilly ? '' About eight o'clock a couple of young , very young , gentlemen came in , at the sight of whom Lilly , who was half asleep , brightened and became lively and talkative . One of them was the Mr. Hickman , whose father married Mr. Page 's sister-in-law 's sister , thus making him in some mysterious way a `` first cousin '' of Lilly 's . He was an Arrowmouth student , and seemed to have so many jokes to laugh over with Lilly that before long they conversed in whispers . The other youth , introduced as Mr. Eels , was left to entertain the other three ladies , which duty he performed by sucking the head of his cane in silence while they talked to him .