a quarter to seven
Tuesday 's dinner was the one event of the week , which put things topsy-turvy . `` Are n't the gentlemen coming here to-night , madame ? '' she inquired . Helene looked at the timepiece : `` It 's a quarter to seven ; they will be here soon , '' she replied . Rosalie was a gift from Abbe Jouve , who had met her at the station on the day she arrived from Orleans , so that she did not know a single street in Paris . A village priest , an old schoolmate of Abbe Jouve 's , had sent her to him . She was dumpy and plump , with a round face under her narrow cap , thick black hair , a flat nose , and deep red lips ; and she was expert in preparing savory dishes , having been brought up at the parsonage by her godmother , servant to the village priest .