half past six
He himself had a modest private fortune , and lived without doing anything on his twenty thousand francs a year , and his wife , who had been quite portionless , was constantly angry at her husband 's inactivity . At last he reached his house , put down the child , wiped his forehead and walked upstairs , and when he got to the second floor , he rang . An old servant who had brought him up , one of those mistress-servants who are the tyrants of families , opened the door to him , and he asked her anxiously : `` Has Madame come in yet ? '' The servant shrugged her shoulders : `` When have you ever known Madame to come home at half past six , Monsieur ? '' And he replied with some embarrassment : `` Very well ; all the better ; it will give me time to change my things , for I am very hot . '' The servant looked at him with angry and contemptuous pity , and grumbled : `` Oh ! I can see that well enough , you are covered with perspiration , Monsieur .