About nine o'clock
How nice ! '' It was a pleasure the man of forecast could have willingly dispensed with ; but he smiled at her , and they discussed furniture , and Christopher , whose retentive memory had picked up a little of everything , said there were wholesale upholsterers in the City who sold cheaper than the West-end houses , and he thought the best way was to measure the rooms in the Bijou , and go to the city with a clear idea of what they wanted ; ask the prices of various necessary articles , and then make a list , and demand a discount of fifteen per cent on the whole order , being so considerable , and paid for in cash . Rosa acquiesced , and told Christopher he was the cleverest man in England . About nine o'clock Mrs. Cole came in to condole with her friend , and heard the good news . When Rosa told her how they thought of furnishing , she said , `` Oh no , you must not do that ; you will pay double for everything . That is the mistake Johnnie and I made ; and after that a friend of mine took me to the auction-rooms , and I saw everything sold -- oh , such bargains ; half , and less than half , their value . She has furnished her house almost entirely from sales , and she has the loveliest things in the world -- such ducks of tables , and jardinieres , and things ; and beautiful rare china -- her house swarms with it -- for an old song .