eleven o'clock
Cornelia kissed her father 's forehead , and they parted . At breakfast in the morning it was the habit of all the ladies to assemble , partly to countenance the decency of matin-prayers , and also to give the head of the household their dutiful society till business called him away . Adela , in earlier days , had maintained that early rising was not fashionable ; but she soon grasped the idea that a great rivalry with Fashion , in minor matters -LRB- where the support of the satirist might be counted on -RRB- , was the proper policy of Brookfield . Mrs. Chump was given to be extremely fashionable in her hours , and began her Brookfield career by coming downstairs at ten and eleven o'clock , when she found a desolate table , well stocked indeed , but without any of the exuberant smiles of nourishment which a morning repast should wear . `` You are a Protestant , ma'am , are you not ? '' Adela mildly questioned , after informing her that she missed family prayer by her late descent . Mrs. Chump assured her that she was a firm Protestant , and liked to see faces at the breakfast-table .