nine in the morning
They carried their lunch with them and ate it sometimes in the little wood of Loret , sometimes on the cliffs amidst the broom , furze and asters with their golden flowers and silver foliage . The philosopher 's fishing fleet was composed , as he laughingly said , of a blue boat with blue sails , and a little Swedish whaler . François went every evening about six o'clock to set the nets with the farmer 's eldest son , whose portrait Maurice intended doing for the following Salon . All the little colony gathered at nine in the morning on the beach , ready with baskets to bear away the catch . Maurice , Jean and Esperance went out with the Professor to get the nets . Sometimes they had been put far out and then Esperance would row with the others , for which rough sport her delicate arms seemed out of place . The young people would cry out with delight every time they saw the fish under the transparent water held by the meshes .