Nine o'clock
The rest of the afternoon she spent wholly in exhorting Mrs Harrel to shew more fortitude , and conjuring her to study nothing while abroad but oeconomy , prudence and housewifery ; a lesson how hard for the thoughtless and negligent Priscilla ! she heard the advice with repugnance , and only answered it with helpless complaints that she knew not how to spend less money than she had always done . After tea , Mr Harrel , still in high spirits , went out , entreating Cecilia to stay with Priscilla till his return , which he promised should be early . Nine o'clock , however , came , and he did not appear ; Cecilia then grew anxious to keep her appointment with Mrs Delvile ; but ten o'clock also came , and still Mr Harrel was absent . She then determined to wait no longer , and rang her bell for her servant and chair ; but when Mrs Harrel desired to be informed the moment that Mr Harrel returned , the man said he had been come home more than half an hour . Much surprised , she enquired where he was . `` In his own room , madam , and gave orders not to be disturbed . ''