about half after ten
The world owed Bourke a living , or he so considered ; and it must be allowed that he made collections on account with tolerable regularity and success ; but Paris was tax-exempt as long as Paris offered him immunity from molestation . Not only did Paris suit his tastes excellently , but there was no place , in Bourke 's esteem , comparable with Troyon 's for peace and quiet . Hence , the continuity of his patronage was never broken by trials of rival hostelries ; and Troyon 's was always expecting Bourke for the simple reason that he invariably arrived unexpectedly , with neither warning nor ostentation , to stop as long as he liked , whether a day or a week or a month , and depart in the same manner . His daily routine , as Troyon 's came to know it , varied but slightly : he breakfasted abed , about half after ten , lounged in his room or the café all day if the weather were bad , or strolled peacefully in the gardens of the Luxembourg if it were good , dined early and well but always alone , and shortly afterward departed by cab for some well-known bar on the Rive Droit ; whence , it is to be presumed , he moved on to other resorts , for he never was home when the house was officially closed for the night , the hours of his return remaining a secret between himself and the concierge . On retiring , Bourke would empty his pockets upon the dressing-table , where the boy Marcel , bringing up Bourke 's petit déjeuner the next morning , would see displayed a tempting confusion of gold and silver and copper , with a wad of bank-notes , and the customary assortment of personal hardware . Now inasmuch as Bourke was never wide-awake at that hour , and always after acknowledging Marcel 's `` bon jour '' rolled over and snored for Glory and the Saints , it was against human nature to resist the allure of that dressing-table . Marcel seldom departed without a coin or two .