nine o'clock
Mrs. Morrison talked of the commandments and of honouring one 's father and mother and of how the less there was to honour the greater the glory of doing it ; and Emma was so amiable that she actually did manage to honour him six days out of the seven . At the same time she could not help thinking it would be nice to go away to a place where he was n't . They were extremely poor ; almost the poorest family in the village , and the vision of possessing ten shillings of her very own was a dizzy one . She had a sweetheart , and she had sent him word by a younger sister of the good fortune that had befallen her and begged him to come up to Creeper Cottage that evening and help her carry the precious wages safely home ; and at nine o'clock when her work was done she presented herself all blushes and smiles before Priscilla and shyly asked her for them . Priscilla was alone in her parlour reading . She referred her , as her habit was , to Fritzing ; but Fritzing had gone out for a little air , the rain having cleared off , and when the girl told her so Priscilla bade her come round in the morning and fetch the money . Emma 's face fell so woefully at this -- was not her John at that moment all expectant round the corner ?