ten o'clock
But he was too restless and ill at ease to apply himself steadily to work , -- the glowing skies of Egypt , the picturesque groups of natives to be seen at every turn , -- the curious corners of old Cairo -- these made no impression upon his mind at all , and when he was alone , he passed whole half hours staring at the strange picture he had made of the Princess Ziska , wherein the face of death seemed confronting him through a mask of life . And he welcomed with a strong sense of relief and expectation the long-looked-for evening of the Princess 's `` reception , '' to which many of the visitors in Cairo had been invited since a fortnight , and which those persons who always profess to be `` in the know , '' even if they are wallowing in ignorance , declared would surpass any entertainment ever given during the Cairene season . The night came at last . It was exceedingly sultry , but bright and clear , and the moon shone with effective brilliance on the gayly-attired groups of people that between nine and ten o'clock began to throng the narrow street in which the carved tomb-like portal of the Princess Ziska 's residence was the most conspicuous object . Lady Chetwynd Lyle , remarkable for bad taste in her dress and the disposal of her diamonds , stared in haughty amazement at the Nubian , who saluted her and her daughters with the grin peculiar to his uninviting cast of countenance , and swept into the courtyard attended by her husband with an air as though she imagined her presence gave the necessary flavor of `` good style '' to the proceedings . She was followed by Lady Fulkeward , innocently clad in white and wearing a knot of lilies on her prettily-enamelled left shoulder , Lord Fulkeward , Denzil Murray and his sister . Helen also wore white , but though she was in the twenties and Lady Fulkeward was in the sixties , the girl had so much sadness in her face and so much tragedy in her soft eyes that she looked , if anything , older than the old woman .