six
o’clock
She was forbidden , by the articles of her engagement , to have `` followers '' ; and though she had answered , innocently enough , doubling up the hem of her apron as she spoke , `` Please , ma'am , I never had more than one at a time , '' Miss Matty prohibited that one . But a vision of a man seemed to haunt the kitchen . Fanny assured me that it was all fancy , or else I should have said myself that I had seen a man 's coat-tails whisk into the scullery once , when I went on an errand into the store-room at night ; and another evening , when , our watches having stopped , I went to look at the clock , there was a very odd appearance , singularly like a young man squeezed up between the clock and the back of the open kitchen-door : and I thought Fanny snatched up the candle very hastily , so as to throw the shadow on the clock face , while she very positively told me the time half-an-hour too early , as we found out afterwards by the church clock . But I did not add to Miss Matty 's anxieties by naming my suspicions , especially as Fanny said to me , the next day , that it was such a queer kitchen for having odd shadows about it , she really was almost afraid to stay ; `` for you know , miss , '' she added , `` I do n't see a creature from six o'clock tea , till Missus rings the bell for prayers at ten . '' However , it so fell out that Fanny had to leave and Miss Matilda begged me to stay and `` settle her '' with the new maid ; to which I consented , after I had heard from my father that he did not want me at home . The new servant was a rough , honest-looking , country girl , who had only lived in a farm place before ; but I liked her looks when she came to be hired ; and I promised Miss Matilda to put her in the ways of the house . The said ways were religiously such as Miss Matilda thought her sister would approve .