about four o'clock
Once she had invited a comic opera star to sing for her guests , and all the men had crowded round this actress , and Mrs. de Graffenried had flown into a passion and tried to drive them away ; and the actress , lolling back in her chair , and gazing up idly at Mrs. de Graffenried , had drawled , `` Ten years older than God ! '' Poor Mrs. de Graffenried would carry that saying with her until she died . Something reminiscent of this came under Montague 's notice that same evening . At about four o'clock Mrs. Vivie wished to go home , and asked him to find her escort , the Count St. Elmo de Champignon -- the man , by the way , for whom her husband was gunning . Montague roamed all about the house , and finally went downstairs , where a room had been set apart for the theatrical company to partake of refreshments . Mrs. de Graffenried 's secretary was on guard at the door ; but some of the boys had got into the room , and were drinking champagne and `` making dates '' with the chorus-girls . And here was Mrs. de Graffenried herself , pushing them bodily out of the room , a score and more of them -- and among them Mrs. Vivie 's Count !