“No, you see, eight bells is the highest number. It is eight bells at eight o’clock, at four o’clock and at twelve—either at night, or in the daytime.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll never learn that,” sighed Amy.
“It is very simple,” explained Betty, “Now it is eight bells—twelve o’clock noon. At half-past twelve it will be one bell. Then half an hour later, it will be two bells—one o’clock. You see, every half hour is rung.”
“Worse and worse!” protested Mollie. “What time is it at two o’clock?”
“Four bells,” answered Betty, promptly. “Why, I thought four bells was four o’clock,” spoke Grace.
“No, eight bells is four o’clock in the after-noon, and also four o’clock in the morning. Then it starts over again with one bell, which would be half-past four; two bells, five; three hells, half-past five, and——”
“Oh, stop! stop! you make my head ache!” cried Grace, “Has anyone a chocolate cream?”
They all laughed.
“You’ll soon understand it,” said Betty.
“It’s worse than remembering to turn the steering wheel the opposite way you want to go,” objected Mollie. “But we are young—we may learn in time.”