eight o'clock
She was certainly not angry , but his evening meal , an egg , a ham sandwich , the milk in a silver mug , everything neatly prepared , was already there , and she sat opposite his place with her hands folded on the white table cloth , frowning impatiently . The large hanging-lamp , which cast a bright light on the table and made her bent head gleam like gold , did not brighten up her face . His mother was in silk , in light silk , in a dress trimmed with lace , which only had something that looked like a very transparent veil over the neck and arms . Oh , now he remembered , she was to meet his father , who had not come home to dinner that day , in town at eight o'clock , and go to a party with him . Oh , that was why he had had to come home so early . As if he could not have got into bed alone . `` You 've come so late , '' she said .