ten o'clock
Mademoiselle 's service was not exacting and took but little time . A whiting or a cutlet -- that was all the cooking there was to be done . Mademoiselle might have kept her with her in the evening for company : she preferred , however , to send her away , to drive her out of doors , to force her to take a little air and diversion . She asked only that she would return at ten o'clock to help her to bed ; and yet when Germinie was a little late , mademoiselle undressed herself and went to bed alone very comfortably . Every hour that her mistress left her at leisure , Germinie passed in the shop . She fell into the habit of going down to the creamery in the morning , when the shutters were removed , and generally carried them inside ; she would take her _ café au lait _ there and remain until nine o'clock , when she would go back and give mademoiselle her chocolate ; and between breakfast and dinner she found excuses for returning two or three times , delaying and chattering in the back-shop on the slightest pretext . `` What a magpie you are getting to be ! ''