noon
`` Yes , my dear Abbe , at eighty-four * the Holy Father shows the activity of a young man and leads a life of determination and hard work such as neither you nor I would care for ! At six o'clock he is already up , says his mass in his private chapel , and drinks a little milk for breakfast . Then , from eight o'clock till noon , there is a ceaseless procession of cardinals and prelates , all the affairs of the congregations passing under his eyes , and none could be more numerous or intricate . At noon the public and collective audiences usually begin . At two he dines . Then comes the siesta which he has well earned , or else a promenade in the gardens until six o'clock . The private audiences then sometimes keep him for an hour or two .