nine
o'clock
She is not a lady , she was not born a lady , and she never can be a lady ; therefore , my dear nieces , you are not to know her . '' The girls were tired when they went to bed . The life of routine had fatigued them ; although , of course , it would soon cease to do so . Notwithstanding , therefore , Miss Tredgold 's startling announcement with regard to Nancy King , they slept soundly ; and the next morning when nine o'clock struck they all appeared in the schoolroom , their persons neat , their hair carefully brushed , and each pair of eyes beaming with intelligence . Even Penelope looked her very best in a clean brown holland frock , and she went quite creditably through her alphabet , and did not squiggle her pot-hooks quite as much as she had done on the previous day . Miss Tredgold was in an excellent humor . She praised the girls , told them she was much pleased with their performances , and said further that , if only they would meet her half-way by being attentive and intelligent and earnest in their work , she on her part would do all in her power to make lessons agreeable ; she would teach them in a way which would be sure to arouse their interest , and she would vary the work with play , and give them as gay a time as the bright weather and their own happy hearts would permit .