quarter past five
Miranda and Jane exchanged glances . `` Ai n't she the beatin ` est creetur that ever was born int ' the world ! '' exclaimed Miranda ; `` but she can turn off work when she 's got a mind to ! '' At quarter past five everything was ready , and the neighbors , those at least who were within sight of the brick house -LRB- a prominent object in the landscape when there were no leaves on the trees -RRB- , were curious almost to desperation . Shades up in both parlors ! Shades up in the two south bedrooms ! And fires -- if human vision was to be relied on -- fires in about every room .