half past ten
He had been there half an hour , totally uncheered by Clark 's jovial visits which were each one accompanied by a `` Hello , old boy , how you making out ? '' and a slap at his knee . A dozen males had spoken to him or stopped for a moment beside him , but he knew that they were each one surprised at finding him there and fancied that one or two were even slightly resentful . But at half past ten his embarrassment suddenly left him and a pull of breathless interest took him completely out of himself -- Nancy Lamar had come out of the dressing-room . She was dressed in yellow organdie , a costume of a hundred cool corners , with three tiers of ruffles and a big bow in back until she shed black and yellow around her in a sort of phosphorescent lustre . The Jelly-bean 's eyes opened wide and a lump arose in his throat . For she stood beside the door until her partner hurried up .