midnight
The tasks that Rosamond Lee laid out for Jessie were cruelly hard . She would say to her each morning , as she laid out this or that bit of work : `` This must be finished by to-morrow morning . '' As soon as the clock struck nine , Rosamond would seek her downy couch . Not for anything in the world would she have lost the few hours of beauty-sleep before midnight , so essential to young girl 's good looks . But there must be no beauty-sleep for the tired young girl who plied her needle . `` How dare you ! '' Rosamond cried .