ten o'clock at night
During those ten days , Philippe regularly decamped after breakfast , came back for dinner , was off again for the evening , and only got home about midnight to go to bed . He contracted certain habits half mechanically , and they soon became rooted in him ; he got his boots blacked on the Pont Neuf for the two sous it would have cost him to go by the Pont des Arts to the Palais-Royal , where he consumed regularly two glasses of brandy while reading the newspapers , -- an occupation which employed him till midday ; after that he sauntered along the rue Vivienne to the cafe Minerve , where the Liberals congregated , and where he played at billiards with a number of old comrades . While winning and losing , Philippe swallowed four or five more glasses of divers liquors , and smoked ten or a dozen cigars in going and coming , and idling along the streets . In the evening , after consuming a few pipes at the Hollandais smoking-rooms , he would go to some gambling-place towards ten o'clock at night . The waiter handed him a card and a pin ; he always inquired of certain well-seasoned players about the chances of the red or the black , and staked ten francs when the lucky moment seemed to come ; never playing more than three times , win or lose . If he won , which usually happened , he drank a tumbler of punch and went home to his garret ; but by that time he talked of smashing the ultras and the Bourbon body-guard , and trolled out , as he mounted the staircase , `` We watch to save the Empire ! '' His poor mother , hearing him , used to think `` How gay Philippe is to-night ! ''