Two o'clock in the morning
The body of the houses was too solidly grand to submit to alteration ; so people were occasionally surprised , after passing through a commonplace-looking shop , to find themselves at the foot of a grand carved oaken staircase , lighted by a window of stained glass , storied all over with armorial bearings . Up such a stair -- past such a window -LRB- through which the moonlight fell on her with a glory of many colours -RRB- -- Ruth Hilton passed wearily one January night , now many years ago . I call it night ; but , strictly speaking , it was morning . Two o'clock in the morning chimed forth the old bells of St Saviour 's . And yet more than a dozen girls still sat in the room into which Ruth entered , stitching away as if for very life , not daring to gape , or show any outward manifestation of sleepiness . They only sighed a little when Ruth told Mrs Mason the hour of the night , as the result of her errand ; for they knew that , stay up as late as they might , the work-hours of the next day must begin at eight , and their young limbs were very weary . Mrs Mason worked away as hard as any of them ; but she was older and tougher ; and , besides , the gains were hers .