eight o'clock
Alas ! she thought , how long would she continue to do so ? Yet with her suffering came a wonderful ease , an ability to deal with the details of life . When at eight o'clock her maid came in and , pulling the curtains , exclaimed with Gallic candor , `` Oh , comme madame a mauvaise mine ce matin ! '' she smiled at her with unusual gentleness . Later , when Mathilde came down at her accustomed hour , and lying across the foot of her mother 's bed , began to read her scraps of the morning paper , Adelaide felt a rush of tenderness for the child , who was so unaware of the hideous bargain life really was . Surprising as it was , she found she could talk more easily than usual and with a more undivided attention , though everything they said was trivial enough .