eight o’clock
Mme. Vauquer , who came home about midnight from the Gaite , lay a-bed till half-past ten . Christophe , after a prolonged slumber -LRB- he had finished Vautrin 's first bottle of wine -RRB- , was behindhand with his work , but Poiret and Mlle. Michonneau uttered no complaint , though breakfast was delayed . As for Victorine and Mme. Couture , they also lay late . Vautrin went out before eight o'clock , and only came back just as breakfast was ready . Nobody protested , therefore , when Sylvie and Christophe went up at a quarter past eleven , knocked at all the doors , and announced that breakfast was waiting . While Sylvie and the man were upstairs , Mlle. Michonneau , who came down first , poured the contents of the phial into the silver cup belonging to Vautrin -- it was standing with the others in the bain-marie that kept the cream hot for the morning coffee . The spinster had reckoned on this custom of the house to do her stroke of business .