nine o’clock
She had , it is true , quailed at the prospect of drudgery and hard service ; but she had felt no degradation in working for her bread , until she found herself exposed to insolence and pride . Philosophy would have taught her that the degradation was on the side of those who had sunk so low as to display such passions habitually , and without cause : but she was too young for such consolation , and her honest feeling was hurt . May not the complaint , that common people are above their station , often take its rise in the fact of UNcommon people being below theirs ? In such scenes and occupations the time wore on until nine o'clock , when Kate , jaded and dispirited with the occurrences of the day , hastened from the confinement of the workroom , to join her mother at the street corner , and walk home : -- the more sadly , from having to disguise her real feelings , and feign to participate in all the sanguine visions of her companion . ` Bless my soul , Kate , ' said Mrs. Nickleby ; ` I 've been thinking all day what a delightful thing it would be for Madame Mantalini to take you into partnership -- such a likely thing too , you know ! Why , your poor dear papa 's cousin 's sister-in-law -- a Miss Browndock -- was taken into partnership by a lady that kept a school at Hammersmith , and made her fortune in no time at all . I forget , by-the-bye , whether that Miss Browndock was the same lady that got the ten thousand pounds prize in the lottery , but I think she was ; indeed , now I come to think of it , I am sure she was .