eight o'clock
Masha kissed her mother 's hand , smiling , and nodded her head several times in the affirmative . ` Mind you do , ' observed Nenila Makarievna , stroking her cheek , and she went out after her husband . Masha leaned back in her chair , dropped her head on her bosom , interlaced her fingers , and looked long out of window , screwing up her eyes ... A slight flush passed over her fresh cheeks ; with a sigh she drew herself up , was setting to work again , but dropped her needle , leaned her face on her hand , and biting the tips of her nails , fell to dreaming ... then glanced at her own shoulder , at her outstretched hand , got up , went to the window , laughed , put on her hat and went out into the garden . That evening at eight o'clock , the guests began to arrive . Madame Perekatov with great affability received and ` entertained ' the ladies , Mashenka the girls ; Sergei Sergeitch talked about the crops with the gentlemen and continually glanced towards his wife . Soon there arrived the young dandies , the officers , intentionally a little late ; at last the colonel himself , accompanied by his adjutants , Kister and Lutchkov . He presented them to the lady of the house .