ten o’clock
Then you dine at half-past five , because the opera begins at seven , and with such a band who would miss the overture ? Again , you enter a brilliant , well-lighted apartment , gay with well-dressed women and Austrian officers in their handsome uniforms , all full of politeness , _ bonhommie _ , and real kindness towards a stranger . Perhaps you occupy the next table to Meyerbeer , and you are more resolved than ever not to be too late . At seven you enjoy the harmony of the blessed , at a moderate outlay that would hardly pay for your entrance half-price to a farce in a London theatre , and at ten o'clock your day is over , and you may seek your couch . I confess I liked Vienna very much . My intimacy with Victor gave me at once an introduction into society , and my old acquaintance with the German language made me feel thoroughly at home amongst these frank and warm-hearted people . It has always appeared to me that there is more homely kindliness , more _ heart _ , and less straining after effect in German society than in any other with which I am acquainted .