ten o'clock
She had gone to the house of the old Grafin whose reminiscences had been a fruitful topic at Desiree 's wedding . After dining there she and the Grafin were to go together to a farewell reception given by the Governor . For Rapp was bound for the frontier with the rest , and was to go to the war as first aide-de-camp to the Emperor . Mathilde could not be back until ten o'clock . She , who was so quick and quiet , had been much occupied in social observances lately , and had made fast friends with the Grafin during the last few days , constantly going to see her . Desiree knew that what Barlasch had repeated as the gossip of the cafes was in part , if not wholly , true . She and Mathilde had long known that any mention of France had the instant effect of turning their father into a man of stone .