midnight
`` And it eats such a deal of money , my little Asticot , '' she remarked . After which , to relieve her feelings , she washed up my dirty plates , and discoursed on the economics of catering . I walked with her through the two or three streets that separated me from the Rue des Saladiers , and went upstairs with her to see whether Paragot had returned . It was past midnight . There was no Paragot . I went to the Café Delphine profoundly depressed by Blanquette 's story . Here was Blanquette eating her heart out for Paragot , who was killing his soul for Joanna , who was miserably unhappy on account of her husband , who was suffering some penalty for his scaly-headed vulturedom .