nine in the morning
The woman , too , was awake , in every fibre of body and soul . Even her finger-tips seemed sentient and alive ; her heart was strangely lifted , as though by imprisoned wings . She had no doubt of the ultimate hour , when he would know also , yet , half-afraid , she shrank from it , as she would not have shrunk from pain . Madame had once remarked that civilisation must have begun not earlier than nine in the morning , or later than noon . She had a horror of the early breakfast , when the family , cold , but clean , gathers itself around the board which only last night was festive and strives valiantly to be pleasant . It was almost an axiom with her that human , friendly conversation was not possible before nine in the morning . So , as there was no one else to be pleased , the three women breakfasted when and where they chose .