nine o'clock
This was fortunate for her , for a few minutes later the police reserves arrived . In half an hour Marija was back , Teta Elzbieta with her , both of them breathless with running and sick with fear . The crowd was now formed in a line , extending for several blocks , with half a hundred policemen keeping guard , and so there was nothing for them to do but to take their places at the end of it . At nine o'clock the bank opened and began to pay the waiting throng ; but then , what good did that do Marija , who saw three thousand people before her -- enough to take out the last penny of a dozen banks ? To make matters worse a drizzling rain came up , and soaked them to the skin ; yet all the morning they stood there , creeping slowly toward the goal -- all the afternoon they stood there , heartsick , seeing that the hour of closing was coming , and that they were going to be left out . Marija made up her mind that , come what might , she would stay there and keep her place ; but as nearly all did the same , all through the long , cold night , she got very little closer to the bank for that . Toward evening Jurgis came ; he had heard the story from the children , and he brought some food and dry wraps , which made it a little easier .