nine o'clock
She could have remained away from the table with far less effort than was required , when a delicious dish was placed before her , to send it away untouched . There were four regular meals daily in the Saunders home ; the girls usually added a fifth when they went down to the pantries to forage before going to bed ; and tempting little dishes of candy and candied fruits were set unobtrusively on card-tables , on desks , on the piano where the girls were amusing themselves with the songs of the day . It was a comfortable , care-free life they led , irresponsible beyond any of Susan 's wildest dreams . She and Emily lounged about their bright , warm apartments , these winter mornings , until nine o'clock , lingered over their breakfast -- talking , talking and talking , until the dining-room clock struck a silvery , sweet eleven ; and perhaps drifted into Miss Ella 's room for more talk , or amused themselves with Chow Yew 's pidgin English , while he filled vases in one of the pantries . At twelve o'clock they went up to dress for the one o'clock luncheon , an elaborate meal at which Mrs. Saunders plaintively commented on the sauce Bechamel , Ella reviled the cook , and Kenneth , if he was present , drank a great deal of some charged water from a siphon , or perhaps made Lizzie or Carrie nearly leap out of their skins by a sudden , terrifying inquiry why Miss Brown had n't been served to salad before he was , or perhaps growled at Emily a question as to what the girls had been talking about all night long . After luncheon , if Kenneth did not want the new motor-car , which was supposed to be his particular affectation , the girls used it , giggling in the tonneau at the immobility of Flornoy , the French chauffeur ; otherwise they drove behind the bays , and stopped at some lovely home , standing back from the road behind a sweep of drive , and an avenue of shady trees , for tea . Susan could take her part in the tea-time gossip now , could add her surmises and comment to the general gossip , and knew what the society weeklies meant when they used initials , or alluded to a `` certain prominent debutante recently returned from an Eastern school . ''