about twelve o’clock
Colleville , a musician in the evening , kept the books of a merchant from seven to nine in the morning , and by ten o'clock he was at his ministry . Thus , by blowing into a bit of wood by night , and writing double-entry accounts in the early morning , he managed to eke out his earnings to seven or eight thousand francs a year . Madame Colleville played the part of a `` comme il faut '' woman ; she received on Wednesdays , gave a concert once a month and a dinner every fortnight . She never saw Colleville except at dinner and at night , when he returned about twelve o'clock , at which hour she was frequently not at home herself . She went to the theatres , where boxes were sometimes given to her ; and she would send word to Colleville to come and fetch her from such or such a house , where she was supping and dancing . At her own house , guests found excellent cheer , and her society , though rather mixed , was very amusing ; she received and welcomed actresses , artists , men of letters , and a few rich men . Madame Colleville 's elegance was on a par with that of Tullia , the leading prima-donna , with whom she was intimate ; but though the Collevilles encroached on their capital and were often in difficulty by the end of the month , Flavie was never in debt .