five o'clock in the morning
The old life began again . After sleeping for twelve hours in her closet , Nana behaved very well for a week or so . She had patched herself a modest little dress , and wore a cap with the strings tied under her chignon . Seized indeed with remarkable fervor , she declared she would work at home , where one could earn what one liked without hearing any nasty work-room talk ; and she procured some work and installed herself at a table , getting up at five o'clock in the morning on the first few days to roll her sprigs of violets . But when she had delivered a few gross , she stretched her arms and yawned over her work , with her hands cramped , for she had lost her knack of stem-rolling , and suffocated , shut up like this at home after allowing herself so much open air freedom during the last six months . Then the glue dried , the petals and the green paper got stained with grease , and the flower-dealer came three times in person to make a row and claim his spoiled materials . Nana idled along , constantly getting a hiding from her father , and wrangling with her mother morning and night -- quarrels in which the two women flung horrible words at each other 's head .