four o'clock
He painted bad pictures intermittently , but spent most of his time in hanging about his old haunts -- the Louvre , the Salon , the various exhibitions , and the dealers , where he was commonly regarded by the younger artists who were on speaking terms with him as a tragic old bore , with a head of his own worth painting , however if he could be got to sit -- for an augur or a chief priest . ` It was _ absinthe _ that did it , ' said Elise calmly , taking a fresh charge into her brush , and working away at the black trimmings of the Infanta 's dress . ` Every day , about four , he disappears into the Boulevard . Generally , Madame Cervin drives him like a sheep ; but when four o'clock comes she dare n't interfere with him . If she did , he would be unmanageable altogether . So he takes his two hours or so , and when he comes back there is not much amiss with him . Sometimes he is excited , and talks quite brilliantly about the past -- sometimes he is nervous and depressed , starts at a sound , and storms about the noises in the street .