about eleven
o'clock
My two principal characters made their appearance in Sicily , and at first were so intermingled with scenery and incidents as not to be very prominent ; then they came more to the front , and other characters introduced themselves upon occasion . As these personages appeared and reappeared , I hoped that they would gradually surround themselves with an interest which would steadily increase the desire to know more and more about them . Thus , as I went on , I said less and less about Sicily , and more and more about my characters , especially the young man and the young woman , the curious blending of whose lives I was endeavoring to depict . This went on very smoothly for a few days , and then , about eleven o'clock one morning , my nun suddenly leaned back in her chair and laid down her pen . `` I can not write any more of this , '' she said , looking out of the window . I was so astonished that I could scarcely ask her what she meant . `` This is love-making , '' she continued , `` and with love-making the sisters of the House of Martha can have nothing to do .