then she set the rocks in one by one , took off her clothes , lit a candle , dumped the pots and cups of hot water into the bath and tossed the empty containers into the hallway . he tried to explain the circumstances under which he was living , but by then it was too late . i told you i want you here to greet the other guests . he proposed signing her to a contract which would pay her eight hundred dollars a week for twenty weeks or twelve books , whichever came first . 