midnight
He simply left her alone . In the morning he went out to do `` business , '' which , as far as she could discover , meant sitting in the Farmacia . He usually returned to lunch , after which he retired to another room and slept . In the evening he grew vigorous again , and took the air on the ramparts , often having his dinner out , and seldom returning till midnight or later . There were , of course , the times when he was away altogether -- at Empoli , Siena , Florence , Bologna -- for he delighted in travel , and seemed to pick up friends all over the country . Lilia often heard what a favorite he was . She began to see that she must assert herself , but she could not see how .