five o'clock
Yet at that moment Helen Burns wore on her arm `` the untidy badge ; '' scarcely an hour ago I had heard her condemned by Miss Scatcherd to a dinner of bread and water on the morrow because she had blotted an exercise in copying it out . Such is the imperfect nature of man ! such spots are there on the disc of the clearest planet ; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd 's can only see those minute defects , and are blind to the full brightness of the orb . Ere the half-hour ended , five o'clock struck ; school was dismissed , and all were gone into the refectory to tea . I now ventured to descend : it was deep dusk ; I retired into a corner and sat down on the floor . The spell by which I had been so far supported began to dissolve ; reaction took place , and soon , so overwhelming was the grief that seized me , I sank prostrate with my face to the ground . Now I wept : Helen Burns was not here ; nothing sustained me ; left to myself I abandoned myself , and my tears watered the boards .