five o’clock
Princesses as they were , the ruddy golden tresses of Eleanor and the flaxen locks of Jean and Mary were the only ornaments that they could boast of as their own ; and though there were silken and embroidered garments of their mother 's in one of the chests , their mourning forbade the use of them . The girls only wore the plain black kirtles that had been brought from Haddington at the time of the funeral , and the little boys had such homespun garments as the shepherd lads wore . Partly scolding , partly caressing , partly bemoaning the condition of her young ladies , so different from the splendours of the house of Somerset , Ankaret saw that Eleanor was as fit to be seen as circumstances would permit ; as to Jean and Mary , there was no trouble on that score . The whole was not accomplished till a horn was sounded as an intimation that supper was ready , at five o'clock , for the entire household , and all made their way down -- Jean first , in all the glory of her fair face and beautiful hair ; then Eleanor with little Lorn , as he was called , his Christian name being James ; then Annaple and Johnnie hand-in-hand , Mary carrying Andrew , and lastly old Ankaret , hobbling along with her stick , and , when out of sight , a hand on Annaple 's shoulder . In public , nothing would have made her presume so far . The hall was a huge , vaulted , stone-walled room , with a great fire on the wide hearth , and three long tables -- one was cross-wise , on the dais near the fire , the other two ran the length of the hall . The upper one was furnished with tolerably clean napery and a few silver vessels ; as to the lower ones , they were in two degrees of comparison , and the less said of the third the better .