About a quarter to eight
Now shut up about it . Here 's mummy . '' Pretty Mrs. Pickering joined them at tea , played games with them -- they did some delightful charades -- and amused them and herself until it was time for her to go and dress for dinner , leaving Clifford more enchanted with her than ever . * * * * * About a quarter to eight the children had the house more or less to themselves . Cissy 's governess had a holiday and the aged nurse -LRB- who had no sort of control over Pickering -RRB- was the only person there who had even a shadow of authority . She was to see that Cissy did n't play wild games , and went to bed at half-past eight , but as a matter of fact the aged nurse did neither . Cissy stayed with the boys as long as they would allow her .