six o’clock
She was becoming a thing . It was with terror that Therese and Laurent observed the breaking up of this being who still separated them , and whose voice drew them from their bad dreams . When the old mercer lost her intelligence , and remained stiff and silent in her armchair , they would find themselves alone , and in the evening would no longer be able to escape the dreadful face to face conversation . Then their terror would commence at six o'clock instead of midnight . It would drive them mad . They made every effort to give Madame Raquin that health which had become so necessary to them . They called in doctors , and bestowed on the patient all sorts of little attentions .