midnight
The servants came and went about the house promiscuously and without a summons ; they had formed the habits with a mistress who had nothing to conceal ; any change now made in her household ways was tantamount to a confession , and Angouleme still hung in doubt . Mme. de Bargeton could not set foot outside her house but the whole town knew whither she was going . To take a walk alone with Lucien out of Angouleme would have been a decided measure , indeed ; it would have been less dangerous to shut herself up with him in the house . There would have been comments the next day if Lucien had stayed on till midnight after the rooms were emptied . Within as without her house , Mme. de Bargeton lived in public . These details describe life in the provinces ; an intrigue is either openly avoided or impossible anywhere . Like all women carried away for the first time by passion , Louise discovered the difficulties of her position one by one .