eight
o'clock
Her small , rather delicate face had a healthy coat of tan , and her iron-gray hair was braided with scrupulous care . She resembled her own house to a striking degree ; she was fastidiously neat , but not in the least orderly . The Tiverton housekeepers could not appreciate this attitude in reference to the conventional world . It was all very well to keep the kitchen floor scrubbed , but they did believe , also , in seeing the table properly set , and in finishing the washing by eight o'clock on Monday morning . Now Dilly seldom felt inclined to set any table at all . She was far more likely to take her bread and milk under a tree ; and as for washing , Thursday was as good a day as any , she was wont to declare . Moreover , the tradition of hanging garments on the line according to a severely classified system , did not in the least appeal to her .