8 o'clock
A rather dirty white blind hung in the window , which Marshland instantly tore down , `` the filthy rag '' she exclaimed `` never mind Miss Helen , in a few weeks , I 'll have this fit for a lady and the sitting room too for that matter . The iron bed stead was of the collapsible kind and Helen had to prop it up with empty trunks in order to get a night 's rest , but what with the squalling of the office cats and the noise of the clerks and servants below , it was in the small hours of the morning before either she or Marshland got a wink of sleep . It was 8 o'clock , the following morning when Helen was awakened by hearing a loud dispute outside her door between Marshland and Alice Grimstone -LRB- the maid -RRB- . Glancing at her watch , Helen jumped out of bed and began her toilet and half way through she was interrupted by Alice bouncing in announcing it was gone 8 o'clock and would she -LRB- Helen -RRB- care about any water for washing . Helen declared she would , upon which she was presented with a can of hot water and a clean towel , soap already having been provided . Having placed the last hair pin in her knob and fastenned her white blouse , Helen went down to the sitting room , where a smell of hot coffee and fried bacon greated her nose . `` Ah this is Marshland 's cooking '' thought Helen as she raised the cover of the dish .