six o’clock
Already , at three o'clock , Kezia , the good-hearted , bad-tempered housemaid , who regarded all people that came to the sale as her personal enemies , the dirt on whose feet was of a peculiarly vile quality , had begun to scrub and swill with an energy much assisted by a continual low muttering against `` folks as came to buy up other folk 's things , '' and made light of `` scrazing '' the tops of mahogany tables over which better folks than themselves had had to -- suffer a waste of tissue through evaporation . She was not scrubbing indiscriminately , for there would be further dirt of the same atrocious kind made by people who had still to fetch away their purchases ; but she was bent on bringing the parlour , where that `` pipe-smoking pig , '' the bailiff , had sat , to such an appearance of scant comfort as could be given to it by cleanliness and the few articles of furniture bought in for the family . Her mistress and the young folks should have their tea in it that night , Kezia was determined . It was between five and six o'clock , near the usual teatime , when she came upstairs and said that Master Tom was wanted . The person who wanted him was in the kitchen , and in the first moments , by the imperfect fire and candle light , Tom had not even an indefinite sense of any acquaintance with the rather broad-set but active figure , perhaps two years older than himself , that looked at him with a pair of blue eyes set in a disc of freckles , and pulled some curly red locks with a strong intention of respect . A low-crowned oilskin-covered hat , and a certain shiny deposit of dirt on the rest of the costume , as of tablets prepared for writing upon , suggested a calling that had to do with boats ; but this did not help Tom 's memory . `` Sarvant , Master Tom , '' said he of the red locks , with a smile which seemed to break through a self-imposed air of melancholy .