noon
Particularly , at the office , things had gone on smoothly . The other clerks had accepted Claire 's advancement without either protest or enthusiasm . Even Miss Munch had veiled her resentment behind the saving trivialities of daily intercourse . She had gone so far as to introduce Claire to her cousin , a Mrs. Richards , who had come in at the noon hour for a new tatting design . This cousin was a large , red-faced woman , with an aggressively capable manner . She had the quick , ferret-like eyes of Miss Munch and the loose mouth of a perpetual gossip . `` She 's the one I told you about the other day , '' Miss Munch had explained later -- `` the housekeeper for _ your friend _ Stillman 's father-in-law . ''