nine o'clock
The sunlight crept lower and lower over the room 's disorder ; its last bright triangle was gone , twilight came , and the soft early darkness . Mrs. Tarbury presently called Julia , in mellifluous accents , and the girl pulled herself stiffly from the bed , and went blinking down to an improvised supper . They two were alone in the big house , and fell into intimate conversation over their sardines and coffee and jam , discussing the characters of every person in the house with much attention to trivial detail . At nine o'clock some friends came in to see Mrs. Tarbury , and Julia went upstairs again . She lighted the bedroom , and began idly to fold and straighten the clothes that were strewn about everywhere . But she very speedily gave up the task : there were no closets to hang things in , and many things were too torn or dirty to be hung up , anyway ! Julia went down one flight of stairs to the nearest bathroom , in search of hot water , but both faucets ran cold , and she went upstairs again .