noon
No one could expect her to forget it . ' Gradually her characteristic habits deserted her ; she seemed to lose energy and a part of her interest in those things which had occupied her most . She changed her dress less frequently , ignoring dressmakers , and she showed no longer the ravishing elegance of the bride . She often lay in bed till noon , she who had always entered the dining-room at nine o'clock precisely to dispense his coffee and listen to his remarks on the contents of the newspaper . She said ` As you please ' to the cook , and the meals began to lose their piquancy . She paid no calls , but some of her women friends continued , nevertheless , to visit her . Lastly , she took to sewing .