eight o'clock
Instead of being a silly baby she was an accomplished and dazzling woman , then . When customers came in , and the young lady assistants unobtrusively turned higher the central gas , according to the regime of the shop , it was really extraordinary that they could not read in the heart of the beautiful Miss Baines the words which blazed there ; `` YOU 'RE THE FINEST GIRL I EVER MET , '' and `` I SHALL WRITE TO YOU . '' The young lady assistants had their notions as to both Constance and Sophia , but the truth , at least as regarded Sophia , was beyond the flight of their imaginations . When eight o'clock struck and she gave the formal order for dust-sheets , the shop being empty , they never supposed that she was dreaming about posts and plotting how to get hold of the morning 's letters before Mr. Povey . It was during the month of June that Aunt Harriet came over from Axe to spend a few days with her little sister , Mrs. Baines . The railway between Axe and the Five Towns had not yet been opened ; but even if it had been opened Aunt Harriet would probably not have used it . She had always travelled from Axe to Bursley in the same vehicle , a small waggonette which she hired from Bratt 's livery stables at Axe , driven by a coachman who thoroughly understood the importance , and the peculiarities , of Aunt Harriet .