seven o’clock
` Matilda , take a candle , and show her her room , ' said she . Miss Matilda , a strapping hoyden of about fourteen , with a short frock and trousers , shrugged her shoulders and made a slight grimace , but took a candle and proceeded before me up the back stairs -LRB- a long , steep , double flight -RRB- , and through a long , narrow passage , to a small but tolerably comfortable room . She then asked me if I would take some tea or coffee . I was about to answer No ; but remembering that I had taken nothing since seven o'clock that morning , and feeling faint in consequence , I said I would take a cup of tea . Saying she would tell ` Brown , ' the young lady departed ; and by the time I had divested myself of my heavy , wet cloak , shawl , bonnet , & c. , a mincing damsel came to say the young ladies desired to know whether I would take my tea up there or in the schoolroom . Under the plea of fatigue I chose to take it there . She withdrew ; and , after a while , returned again with a small tea-tray , and placed it on the chest of drawers , which served as a dressing-table .