a quarter past nine
The fact was that , only twelve months before , there had occurred a lamentable seduction of one of the pupils who had made the same statement in order to gain meetings with her lover . The affair had created a scandal , and the management had consequently been rough on cousins ever since . At nine o'clock the names were called , Sue 's being pronounced three times sonorously by Miss Traceley without eliciting an answer . At a quarter past nine the seventy stood up to sing the `` Evening Hymn , '' and then knelt down to prayers . After prayers they went in to supper , and every girl 's thought was , Where is Sue Bridehead ? Some of the students , who had seen Jude from the window , felt that they would not mind risking her punishment for the pleasure of being kissed by such a kindly-faced young man . Hardly one among them believed in the cousinship .