`` pray excuse me , '' her father announced to the table . `` you said i freak out over things like that . '' funny that they should find out before we did ; i did not think they concerned themselves so closely with rove activities . '' it was already getting dark , four oclock in the afternoon , november 24 , 1812 . they were , as usual , the center of most peoples attention . he grasped her shoulders and yanked her close . `` then why are you ignoring me ? '' 