noon
Its central location , and its adjacence to several restaurants and boarding houses , rendered it a convenient place for business people to lodge , and the handsome widow found no trouble in filling her rooms with desirable and well-paying patrons . In a spirit of fun , people began to speak of the old Brown mansion as `` The Palace , '' and in a short time the lodging-house was known by that name , just as its mistress was known as `` Baroness Brown . '' The Palace yielded the Baroness something like two hundred dollars a month , and cost her only the wages and keeping of three servants ; or rather the wages of two and the keeping of three ; for to Berene Dumont , her maid and personal attendant , she paid no wages . The Baroness did not rise till noon , and she always breakfasted in bed . Sometimes she remained in her room till mid-afternoon . Berene served her breakfast and lunch , and looked after the servants to see that the lodgers ' rooms were all in order . These were the services for which she was given a home .