Midnight
`` What did you do ? '' `` Oh , I sat beside it with one of Scott 's novels , and I waited . It was rather poky ; for my aunt and her servant had gone to bed , and there were queer creaks and noises now and then , as there always are in old houses . Midnight struck , and one , and two , before the first bubbles appeared on the surface of the cake ; and I had fallen asleep over my book more than once , before I could be quite sure that it was safe to stir in the remainder of the spice and fruit , and go to bed . It was just four o'clock when I finally put out my lamp ; and very sleepy I was next day , as you may imagine : but the cake turned out a great success , and I had many compliments about it from the crack housekeepers in the neighborhood , when they found that it was of my making . '' `` Was n't it a dreadful trouble to have to make cake and things like that at home ? '' asked Maud Hallett .