ten o'clock
He came now every time that he knew they were alone , and never , perhaps , had he passed such delightful evenings . Madame de Guilleroy , whose continual fears were soothed by this assiduity , made fresh efforts to attract him and to keep him near her . She refused invitations to dinners in the city , she did not go to balls , nor to the theaters , in order to have the joy of throwing into the telegraph-box , on going out at three o'clock , a little blue despatch which said : `` Come to-night . '' At first , wishing to give him earlier the tete-a-tete that he desired , she had sent her daughter to bed as soon as it was ten o'clock . Then after one occasion when he had appeared surprised at this and had begged laughingly that Annette should not be treated any longer like a naughty little girl , she had allowed her daughter a quarter of an hour 's grace , then half an hour , and finally a whole hour . Bertin never remained long after the young girl had retired ; it was as if half the charm that held him there had departed with her . He would soon take the little low seat that he preferred beside the Countess and lay his cheek against her knee with a caressing movement .