nine o'clock in the morning
He was very lame , and of his blue knitted stockings only the legs remained ; he was barefoot . He limped towards the kitchen , glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Desiree shut the door . The chair he had made his own stood just within the open door of the kitchen . It was nine o'clock in the morning , and Lisa had gone to market . Barlasch sat down . `` Voila , '' he said , and that was all . But by a gesture he described the end of the world .