nine o'clock in the morning
Cecilia applied to her family , who very kindly sent her word that she might starve ; but , the advice neither suiting her nor her husband , she then wrote to her cousin Antony , who sent her word that he would be most happy to receive them at his table , and that they should take up their abode in Finsbury Square . This was exactly what they wished ; but still there was a certain difficulty ; Lieutenant Templemore 's regiment was quartered in a town in Yorkshire , which was some trifling distance from Finsbury Square ; and to be at Mr. Witherington 's dinner-table at 6 P.M. , with the necessity of appearing at parade every morning at 9 A.M. , was a dilemma not to be got out of . Several letters were interchanged upon this knotty subject ; and at last it was agreed that Mr. Templemore should sell out , and come up to Mr. Witherington with his pretty wife . He did so , and found that it was much more comfortable to turn out at nine o'clock in the morning to a good breakfast than to a martial parade . But Mr. Templemore had an honest pride and independence of character which would not permit him to eat the bread of idleness , and after a sojourn of two months in most comfortable quarters , without a messman 's bill , he frankly stated his feelings to Mr. Witherington , and requested his assistance to procure for himself an honourable livelihood . Mr. Witherington , who had become attached to them both , would have remonstrated , observing that Cecilia was his own cousin , and that he was a confirmed bachelor ; but , in this instance , Mr. Templemore was firm , and Mr. Witherington very unwillingly consented . A mercantile house of the highest respectability required a partner who could superintend their consignments to America .