Five o'clock
The silence which followed did not last long . Madeleine began to question Maurice concerning his life in America , his opinions , his experiences , the people he had known and esteemed ; and he responded , in subdued tones , by a long narrative of past events . It was the first time that Maurice had been called upon to watch beside a bed of sickness , and his was one of those vivacious temperaments to which sleep is so indispensable that an overpowering somnolence will fling its charms about the senses , and bear the spirit away captive , even in the soul 's most unwilling moments . Five o'clock had struck when Madeleine perceived that her companion 's eyes had grown heavy , and that he was making a desperate struggle to keep them open . With womanly tact she leaned her elbow on the bed , and rested her forehead on her hand , in such a manner that her face was concealed , and thus avoided any further conversation . In less than ten minutes , the sound of clear but regular breathing apprised her that Maurice had fallen asleep . When she looked up , at first timidly , but soon with security , Maurice was lying back in his arm-chair -- his hands were calmly folded together , his head drooped a little to one side , the rich chestnut curls -LRB- for his hair had darkened until it no longer resembled Bertha 's golden locks -RRB- were disordered , and fully revealed his fair , intellectual brow ; the pallor of his face rendered more than usually conspicuous the chiselling of his finely-cut features ; the calm , half-smiling curve of his handsome mouth gave his whole countenance an expression of placid happiness which it had not worn , of late , in waking hours .