six
o'clock
Dymock had taken Shanty with him into the parlour , in which Mrs. Margaret sat at her darning ; and he had suggested to the old man , that he might just as well tell the story himself for his aunt 's information , and account for the presence of the infant ; and , in his own words , Mrs. Margaret took all very well , and even did not hint that if her nephew had been in his own parlour , instead of being in a place where vagrants were sheltered , he would at all events have been out of this scrape . But the little one had awoke , and had begun to weep , and the old lady 's heart was touched , so she called one of the maids , and told her to feed the babe and put it to sleep ; after which , having ordered that Shanty should be regaled with the bladebone of a shoulder of mutton , she withdrew to her room to think what was next to be done . The result of Mrs. Margaret 's thoughts were , that come what might , the child must be taken care of for a few days , and must be washed and clothed ; and , as the worthy lady had ever had the habit of laying by , in certain chests and boxes piled on each other in her large bed-room , all the old garments of the family not judged fitting for the wear of cottagers , she had nothing more to do than , by the removal of half-a-dozen trunks , to get at a deal box , which contained the frocks , and robes , and other garments which her nephew had discarded when he put on jacket and trousers . From these she selected one of the smallest suits , and they might have been seen airing at the kitchen fire by six o'clock that morning . Hot water and soap were next put in requisition , and as soon as the baby awoke , she was submitted to such an operation by the kitchen fire , as it would appear she had not experienced for a long time . The little creature was terribly frightened when soused in the water , and screeched in a pitiful manner ; the tears running from her eyes , and the whole of her small person being in a violent tremor . The maids , however , made a thorough job of it , and scoured the foundling from head to foot .