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1563

10

ten o’clock

He did not wait long before the gate opened again . The Marquis d'Albufex seemed in a great rage . He was striking the leg of his boot with his whip and mumbling angry words which Lupin was able to distinguish when the distance became less great : `` Ah , the hound ! ... I 'll make him speak ... I 'll come back to-night ... to-night , at ten o'clock , do you hear , Sebastiani ? ... And we shall do what 's necessary ... Oh , the brute ! '' Sebastiani unfastened the horses . D'Albufex turned to the woman : `` See that your sons keep a good watch ... If any one attempts to deliver him , so much the worse for him .

1563

9

nine o’clock

`` Then ... '' `` I am hesitating between two plans , '' said Lupin , who seemed very calm . `` Either to prevent the interview ... '' `` How ? '' `` By forestalling d'Albufex . At nine o'clock , the Growler , the Masher and I climb the ramparts , burst into the fortress , attack the keep , disarm the garrison ... and the thing 's done : Daubrecq is ours . '' `` Unless Sebastiani 's sons fling him through the trapdoor to which the marquis alluded ... '' `` For that reason , '' said Lupin , `` I intend to risk that violent measure only as a last resort and in case my other plan should not be practicable . '' `` What is the other plan ? '' `` To witness the interview .

1563

9

nine o’clock

Meet me in an hour on the river-bank . '' The preparations took long in the making . It was difficult to find the material for a fifty-foot ladder that would reach the first ledge of the cliff ; and it required an endless effort and care to join the different sections . At last , a little after nine o'clock , it was set up in the middle of the river and held in position by a boat , the bows of which were wedged between two of the rungs , while the stern was rammed into the bank . The road through the river-valley was little used , and nobody came to interrupt the work . The night was dark , the sky heavy with moveless clouds . Lupin gave the Masher and the Growler their final instructions and said , with a laugh : `` I ca n't tell you how amused I am at the thought of seeing Daubrecq 's face when they proceed to take his scalp or slice his skin into ribbons .

1563

10

Ten o’clock

No longer ? '' `` No longer . '' `` What time was it ? '' `` Ten o'clock . '' `` Could he have known of the Marquis d'Albufex ' suicide by then ? '' `` Yes . I saw the special edition of the Paris-Midi in his pocket . ''

1563

15

three o’clock in the afternoon

snarled Lupin , in a fit of rage . `` If I get hold of you , I 'll make you dance to a pretty tune ! I would n't be in your shoes for a great deal , when that happens . '' They reached Monte Carlo at three o'clock in the afternoon . Lupin was at once disappointed not to see Clarisse on the platform at the station . He waited . No messenger came up to him .

1563

12

twelve o’clock

`` They passed through Monte Carlo . One of us ought to have remained at the station . I did think of it ; but , in the midst of all that bustle ... '' Lupin and his friends took the first train for Italy . They crossed the frontier at twelve o'clock . The train entered the station at San Remo at twelve-forty . They at once saw an hotel-porter , with `` Ambassadeurs-Palace '' on his braided cap , who seemed to be looking for some one among the arrivals . Lupin went up to him : `` Are you looking for M. Nicole ? ''

1563

2

two o’clock

`` He is dressing to go to the club ... as he did yesterday . '' When her neighbour had gone , she went into the passage and , availing herself of a moment when there was no one in sight , walked up to the door of No. 129 . The door was locked . She waited all the evening for her neighbour 's return and did not go to bed until two o'clock . On Sunday morning , she resumed her watch . The neighbour went out at eleven . This time he left the key in the door .

1563

12

noon

Jacob closed his note-book and concluded : `` That 's all . To-day 's doings will be entered this evening . '' `` You can enter them now , M. Jacob . ` 12 noon . M. Daubrecq sends me to the Wagon-Lits Co. . I book two berths in the Paris sleeping-car , by the 2.48 train , and send them to M. Daubrecq by express messenger . Then I take the 12.58 train for Vintimille , the frontier-station , where I spend the day on the platform watching all the travellers who come to France .

1563

12

12 o’clock

He repeated , with an evil delight : `` Listen to me , darling . Listen to the irrevocable words which I am about to speak . Listen to them well . It is now 12 o'clock . The last train starts at 2.48 : you understand , the last train that can bring me to Paris to-morrow , Monday , in time to save your son . The evening-trains would arrive too late . The trains-de-luxe are full up .

1563

0

A quarter to one

Lupin unfolded the paper . There was a set of names written one below the other , twenty-seven of them , the twenty-seven names of the famous list : Langeroux , Dechaumont , Vorenglade , d'Albufex , Victorien Mergy and the rest . And , at the foot , the signature of the chairman of the Two-Seas Canal Company , the signature written in letters of blood . Lupin looked at his watch : `` A quarter to one , '' he said . `` We have twenty minutes to spare . Let 's have some lunch . '' `` But , '' said Clarisse , who was already beginning to lose her head , `` do n't forget ... '' He simply said : `` All I know is that I 'm dying of hunger . ''

1563

11

eleven o’clock

So look after the dear fellow ... Give him a few drops of chloroform every three or four hours : it 's his one weakness ... Off with you , Masher ... And you , Daubrecq , do n't get excited up there . The roof 'll bear you all right ... If you feel at all sick , do n't mind ... Off you go , Masher ! '' He watched the car move into the distance and then told the cabman to drive to a post-office , where he dispatched a telegram in these words : `` M. Prasville , Prefecture de Police , Paris : `` Person found . Will bring you document eleven o'clock to-morrow morning . Urgent communication . `` CLARISSE . '' Clarisse and Lupin reached the station by half-past two .

1563

8

eight o’clock in the morning

What ! We have in our hands ... '' He stopped . Clarisse , exhausted by so much excitement , sat fast asleep in front of him . They reached Paris at eight o'clock in the morning . Lupin found two telegrams awaiting him at his flat in the Place de Clichy . One was from the Masher , dispatched from Avignon on the previous day and stating that all was going well and that they hoped to keep their appointment punctually that evening . The other was from Prasville , dated from the Havre and addressed to Clarisse : `` Impossible return to-morrow Monday morning .

1563

5

five o’clock

Lupin found two telegrams awaiting him at his flat in the Place de Clichy . One was from the Masher , dispatched from Avignon on the previous day and stating that all was going well and that they hoped to keep their appointment punctually that evening . The other was from Prasville , dated from the Havre and addressed to Clarisse : `` Impossible return to-morrow Monday morning . Come to my office five o'clock . Reckon on you absolutely . '' `` Five o'clock ! '' said Clarisse .

1563

5

Five o’clock

The other was from Prasville , dated from the Havre and addressed to Clarisse : `` Impossible return to-morrow Monday morning . Come to my office five o'clock . Reckon on you absolutely . '' `` Five o'clock ! '' said Clarisse . `` How late ! '' `` It 's a first-rate hour , '' declared Lupin .

1563

12

twelve o’clock

Theatre closed by order of the authorities . And the authorities are myself ! '' He struck his chest violently , with an arrogant gesture : `` The authorities are myself ! '' At twelve o'clock Lupin received a telegram which the Masher had sent from Lyons : `` All well . Goods will arrive without damage . '' At three o'clock Clarisse woke . Her first words were : `` Is it to be to-morrow ? ''

1563

3

three o’clock

He struck his chest violently , with an arrogant gesture : `` The authorities are myself ! '' At twelve o'clock Lupin received a telegram which the Masher had sent from Lyons : `` All well . Goods will arrive without damage . '' At three o'clock Clarisse woke . Her first words were : `` Is it to be to-morrow ? '' He did not answer . But she saw him look so calm and smiling that she felt herself permeated with an immense sense of peace and received the impression that everything was finished , disentangled , settled according to her companion 's will .

1563

4

ten minutes past four

Her first words were : `` Is it to be to-morrow ? '' He did not answer . But she saw him look so calm and smiling that she felt herself permeated with an immense sense of peace and received the impression that everything was finished , disentangled , settled according to her companion 's will . They left the house at ten minutes past four . Prasville 's secretary , who had received his chief 's instructions by telephone , showed them into the office and asked them to wait . It was a quarter to five . Prasville came running in at five o'clock exactly and , at once , cried : `` Have you the list ? ''

1563

4

a quarter to five

But she saw him look so calm and smiling that she felt herself permeated with an immense sense of peace and received the impression that everything was finished , disentangled , settled according to her companion 's will . They left the house at ten minutes past four . Prasville 's secretary , who had received his chief 's instructions by telephone , showed them into the office and asked them to wait . It was a quarter to five . Prasville came running in at five o'clock exactly and , at once , cried : `` Have you the list ? '' `` Yes . '' `` Give it me . ''

1563

5

five o’clock exactly

They left the house at ten minutes past four . Prasville 's secretary , who had received his chief 's instructions by telephone , showed them into the office and asked them to wait . It was a quarter to five . Prasville came running in at five o'clock exactly and , at once , cried : `` Have you the list ? '' `` Yes . '' `` Give it me . '' He put out his hand .

1563

7

seven o’clock

`` No news of the Masher and the Growler ? '' `` No , governor , none . '' `` That 's all right , '' he said to Clarisse , in a casual tone . `` It 's only seven o'clock and we must n't reckon on seeing them before eight or nine . Prasville will have to wait , that 's all . I will telephone to him to wait . '' He did so and was hanging up the receiver , when he heard a moan behind him .

1563

12

twelve o’clock

He forced open her teeth with the point of a knife and compelled her to swallow half the bottle : `` Good , '' he said . `` Now the poor thing wo n't wake till to-morrow ... after . '' He glanced through the paper , which was still clutched in Clarisse ' hand , and read the following lines : `` The strictest measures have been taken to keep order at the execution of Gilbert and Vaucheray , lest Arsene Lupin should make an attempt to rescue his accomplices from the last penalty . At twelve o'clock to-night a cordon of troops will be drawn across all the approaches to the Sante Prison . As already stated , the execution will take place outside the prison-walls , in the square formed by the Boulevard Arago and the Rue de la Sante . `` We have succeeded in obtaining some details of the attitude of the two condemned men . Vaucheray observes a stolid sullenness and is awaiting the fatal event with no little courage : ``` Crikey , ' he says , ` I ca n't say I 'm delighted ; but I 've got to go through it and I shall keep my end up . '

1563

22

ten o’clock in the evening

`` Are they going through it ? '' `` They are going through it . '' Twenty minutes later Lupin fell into a heavy sleep . It was ten o'clock in the evening . The night was full of incident and noise around the prison . At one o'clock in the morning the Rue de la Sante , the Boulevard Arago and all the streets abutting on the gaol were guarded by police , who allowed no one to pass without a regular cross-examination . For that matter , it was raining in torrents ; and it seemed as though the lovers of this sort of show would not be very numerous .

1563

1

one o’clock in the morning

Twenty minutes later Lupin fell into a heavy sleep . It was ten o'clock in the evening . The night was full of incident and noise around the prison . At one o'clock in the morning the Rue de la Sante , the Boulevard Arago and all the streets abutting on the gaol were guarded by police , who allowed no one to pass without a regular cross-examination . For that matter , it was raining in torrents ; and it seemed as though the lovers of this sort of show would not be very numerous . The public-houses were all closed by special order . At four o'clock three companies of infantry came and took up their positions along the pavements , while a battalion occupied the Boulevard Arago in case of a surprise .

1563

4

four o’clock

At one o'clock in the morning the Rue de la Sante , the Boulevard Arago and all the streets abutting on the gaol were guarded by police , who allowed no one to pass without a regular cross-examination . For that matter , it was raining in torrents ; and it seemed as though the lovers of this sort of show would not be very numerous . The public-houses were all closed by special order . At four o'clock three companies of infantry came and took up their positions along the pavements , while a battalion occupied the Boulevard Arago in case of a surprise . Municipal guards cantered up and down between the lines ; a whole staff of police-magistrates , officers and functionaries , brought together for the occasion , moved about among the troops . The guillotine was set up in silence , in the middle of the square formed by the boulevard and the street ; and the sinister sound of hammering was heard . But , at five o'clock , the crowd gathered , notwithstanding the rain , and people began to sing .

1563

5

five o’clock

At four o'clock three companies of infantry came and took up their positions along the pavements , while a battalion occupied the Boulevard Arago in case of a surprise . Municipal guards cantered up and down between the lines ; a whole staff of police-magistrates , officers and functionaries , brought together for the occasion , moved about among the troops . The guillotine was set up in silence , in the middle of the square formed by the boulevard and the street ; and the sinister sound of hammering was heard . But , at five o'clock , the crowd gathered , notwithstanding the rain , and people began to sing . They shouted for the footlights , called for the curtain to rise , were exasperated to see that , at the distance at which the barriers had been fixed , they could hardly distinguish the uprights of the guillotine . Several carriages drove up , bringing official persons dressed in black . There were cheers and hoots , whereupon a troop of mounted municipal guards scattered the groups and cleared the space to a distance of three hundred yards from the square .

1563

11

eleven o’clock in the morning

But it was at the headquarters of police that the excitement developed into a paroxysm . Men flung themselves about on every side . Messages , telegrams , telephone calls followed one upon the other . At last , at eleven o'clock in the morning , there was a meeting in the office of the prefect of police , and Prasville was there . The chief-detective read a report of his inquiry , the results of which amounted to this : shortly before midnight yesterday some one had rung at the house on the Boulevard Arago . The portress , who slept in a small room on the ground-floor , behind one of the shops pulled the rope . A man came and tapped at her door .

1563

1

one o’clock in the morning

`` There we are ! It 's as simple as shelling peas . Only , what surprises me is that he was able to get away so easily . '' `` I will ask you to observe , monsieur le prefet , that , being absolute master of the house from one o'clock in the morning , he had until five o'clock to prepare his flight . '' `` And that flight took place ... ? '' `` Over the roofs . At that spot the houses in the next street , the Rue de la Glaciere , are quite near and there is only one break in the roofs , about three yards wide , with a drop of one yard in height . ''

1563

6

six o’clock

But , as , on the other hand , Vorenglade was not in Paris , Prasville 's business was simply to forestall Lupin 's steps with regard to Vorenglade and obtain the restitution of those dangerous letters from Vorenglade at all costs . The first to arrive would be the victor . Prasville once more took his hat , coat and stick , went downstairs , stepped into a taxi and drove to Vorenglade 's flat . Here he was told that the ex-deputy was expected home from London at six o'clock that evening . It was two o'clock in the afternoon . Prasville therefore had plenty of time to prepare his plan . He arrived at the Gare du Nord at five o'clock and posted all around , in the waiting-rooms and in the railway-offices , the three or four dozen detectives whom he had brought with him .

1563

14

two o’clock in the afternoon

The first to arrive would be the victor . Prasville once more took his hat , coat and stick , went downstairs , stepped into a taxi and drove to Vorenglade 's flat . Here he was told that the ex-deputy was expected home from London at six o'clock that evening . It was two o'clock in the afternoon . Prasville therefore had plenty of time to prepare his plan . He arrived at the Gare du Nord at five o'clock and posted all around , in the waiting-rooms and in the railway-offices , the three or four dozen detectives whom he had brought with him . This made him feel easy .

1563

5

five o’clock

Here he was told that the ex-deputy was expected home from London at six o'clock that evening . It was two o'clock in the afternoon . Prasville therefore had plenty of time to prepare his plan . He arrived at the Gare du Nord at five o'clock and posted all around , in the waiting-rooms and in the railway-offices , the three or four dozen detectives whom he had brought with him . This made him feel easy . If M. Nicole tried to speak to Vorenglade , they would arrest Lupin . And , to make assurance doubly sure , they would arrest whosoever could be suspected of being either Lupin or one of Lupin 's emissaries .

1563

5

ten minutes to six

And , to make assurance doubly sure , they would arrest whosoever could be suspected of being either Lupin or one of Lupin 's emissaries . Moreover , Prasville made a close inspection of the whole station . He discovered nothing suspicious . But , at ten minutes to six , Chief-inspector Blanchon , who was with him , said : `` Look , there 's Daubrecq . '' Daubrecq it was ; and the sight of his enemy exasperated the secretary-general to such a pitch that he was on the verge of having him arrested . But he reflected that he had no excuse , no right , no warrant for the arrest . Besides , Daubrecq 's presence proved , with still greater force , that everything now depended on Stanislas Vorenglade .

1563

6

six o’clock in the morning

It was a strange escape . Its least details remained difficult to understand ; and , like the two shots on the Boulevard Arago , it greatly enhanced Arsene Lupin 's prestige . `` Taken all round , '' said Lupin to me , one day , after telling me the different episodes of the story , `` taken all around , no enterprise has ever given me more trouble or cost me greater exertions than that confounded adventure which , if you do n't mind , we will call , The Crystal Stopper ; or , Never Say Die . In twelve hours , between six o'clock in the morning and six o'clock in the evening , I made up for six months of bad luck , blunders , gropings in the dark and reverses . I certainly count those twelve hours among the finest and the most glorious of my life . '' `` And Gilbert ? '' I asked .

1296

0

about midnight

The three poor little things , knowing that he was in one of the ships , had been often out and anxious , and they were then sitting under the lea of a headstone , near their mother 's grave , chittering and creeping closer and closer at every squall . Never was such an orphan-like sight seen . When it began to be so dark that the vessels could no longer be discerned from the churchyard , many went down to the shore , and I took the three babies home with me , and Mrs Pawkie made tea for them , and they soon began to play with our own younger children , in blythe forgetfulness of the storm ; every now and then , however , the eldest of them , when the shutters rattled and the lum-head roared , would pause in his innocent daffing , and cower in towards Mrs Pawkie , as if he was daunted and dismayed by something he knew not what . Many a one that night walked the sounding shore in sorrow , and fires were lighted along it to a great extent ; but the darkness and the noise of the raging deep , and the howling wind , never intermitted till about midnight : at which time a message was brought to me , that it might be needful to send a guard of soldiers to the beach , for that broken masts and tackle had come in , and that surely some of the barks had perished . I lost no time in obeying this suggestion , which was made to me by one of the owners of the Louping Meg ; and to show that I sincerely sympathized with all those in affliction , I rose and dressed myself , and went down to the shore , where I directed several old boats to be drawn up by the fires , and blankets to be brought , and cordials prepared , for them that might be spared with life to reach the land ; and I walked the beach with the mourners till the morning . As the day dawned , the wind began to abate in its violence , and to wear away from the sou-west into the norit , but it was soon discovered that some of the vessels with the corn had perished ; for the first thing seen , was a long fringe of tangle and grain along the line of the highwater mark , and every one strained with greedy and grieved eyes , as the daylight brightened , to discover which had suffered . But I can proceed no further with the dismal recital of that doleful morning .

1296

10

ten o'clock

The day being now Sabbath , and the whole town idle , every body in a manner was down on the beach , to help and mourn as the bodies , one after another , were cast out by the waves . Alas ! few were the better of my provident preparation , and it was a thing not to be described , to see , for more than a mile along the coast , the new-made widows and fatherless bairns , mourning and weeping over the corpses of those they loved . Seventeen bodies were , before ten o'clock , carried to the desolated dwelling of their families ; and when old Thomas Pull , the betheral , went to ring the bell for public worship , such was the universal sorrow of the town , that Nanse Donsie , an idiot natural , ran up the street to stop him , crying , in the voice of a pardonable desperation , `` Wha , in sic a time , can praise the Lord ? '' The calamity of the storm opened and disposed the hearts of the whole town to charity ; and it was a pleasure to behold the manner in which the tide of sympathy flowed towards the sufferers . Nobody went to the church in the forenoon ; but when I had returned home from the shore , several of the council met at my house to confer anent the desolation , and it was concerted among us , at my suggestion , that there should be a meeting of the inhabitants called by the magistrates , for the next day , in order to take the public compassion with the tear in the eye -- which was accordingly done by Mr Pittle himself from the pulpit , with a few judicious words on the heavy dispensation . And the number of folk that came forward to subscribe was just wonderful .

1296

22

about ten o'clock at night

In the course of the week after the Michaelmas term at which my second provostry ended , he was so insupportably drunk that he fell head foremost into his drum , which cost the town five-and-twenty shillings for a new one -- an accident that was not without some satisfaction to me ; and I trow I was not sparing in my derisive commendations on the worth of such a public officer . Nevertheless , he was still kept on , some befriending him for compassion , and others as it were to spite me . But Robin 's good behaviour did not end with breaking the drum , and costing a new one . -- In the course of the winter it was his custom to beat , `` Go to bed , Tom , '' about ten o'clock at night , and the reveille at five in the morning . -- In one of his drunken fits he made a mistake , and instead of going his rounds as usual at ten o'clock , he had fallen asleep in a change house , and waking about the midnight hour in the terror of some whisky dream , he seized his drum , and running into the streets , began to strike the fire-beat in the most awful manner . It was a fine clear frosty moonlight , and the hollow sound of the drum resounded through the silent streets like thunder . -- In a moment every body was a-foot , and the cry of `` Whar is ` t ?

1296

10

ten o'clock

Nevertheless , he was still kept on , some befriending him for compassion , and others as it were to spite me . But Robin 's good behaviour did not end with breaking the drum , and costing a new one . -- In the course of the winter it was his custom to beat , `` Go to bed , Tom , '' about ten o'clock at night , and the reveille at five in the morning . -- In one of his drunken fits he made a mistake , and instead of going his rounds as usual at ten o'clock , he had fallen asleep in a change house , and waking about the midnight hour in the terror of some whisky dream , he seized his drum , and running into the streets , began to strike the fire-beat in the most awful manner . It was a fine clear frosty moonlight , and the hollow sound of the drum resounded through the silent streets like thunder . -- In a moment every body was a-foot , and the cry of `` Whar is ` t ? whar 's the fire ? ''

1296

10

ten o'clock

whar 's the fire ? '' was heard echoing from all sides . -- Robin , quite unconscious that he alone was the cause of the alarm , still went along beating the dreadful summons . I heard the noise and rose ; but while I was drawing on my stockings , in the chair at the bed-head , and telling Mrs Pawkie to compose herself , for our houses were all insured , I suddenly recollected that Robin had the night before neglected to go his rounds at ten o'clock as usual , and the thought came into my head that the alarm might be one of his inebriated mistakes ; so , instead of dressing myself any further , I went to the window , and looked out through the glass , without opening it , for , being in my night clothes , I was afraid of taking cold . The street was as throng as on a market day , and every face in the moonlight was pale with fear . -- Men and lads were running with their coats , and carrying their breeches in their hands ; wives and maidens were all asking questions at one another , and even lasses were fleeing to and fro , like water nymphs with urns , having stoups and pails in their hands . -- There was swearing and tearing of men , hoarse with the rage of impatience , at the tolbooth , getting out the fire-engine from its stance under the stair ; and loud and terrible afar off , and over all , came the peal of alarm from drunken Robin 's drum .

1296

0

midnight

Gillstoups , porter bottles , and penny pies flew like balls and bomb-shells in battle . Mrs Fenton , with her mutch off , and her hair loose , with wide and wild arms , like a witch in a whirlwind , was seen trying to sunder the challengers , and the champions . Finding , however , her endeavours unavailing , and fearing that murder would be committed , she ran like desperation into the streets , crying for help . I was just at the time stepping into my bed , when I heard the uproar , and , dressing myself again , I went out to the street ; for the sound and din of the riot came raging through the silence of the midnight , like the tearing and swearing of the multitude at a house on fire , and I thought no less an accident could be the cause . On going into the street , I met several persons running to the scene of action , and , among others , Mrs Beaufort , with a gallant of her own , and both of them no in their sober senses . It 's no for me to say who he was ; but assuredly , had the woman no been doited with drink , she never would have seen any likeness between him and me , for he was more than twenty years my junior . However , onward we all ran to Mrs Fenton 's house , where the riot , like a raging caldron boiling o'er , had overflowed into the street .

1565

12

noon

Glaucus sighed . They were now in a street less crowded than the rest , at the end of which they beheld that broad and most lovely sea , which upon those delicious coasts seems to have renounced its prerogative of terror -- so soft are the crisping winds that hover around its bosom , so glowing and so various are the hues which it takes from the rosy clouds , so fragrant are the perfumes which the breezes from the land scatter over its depths . From such a sea might you well believe that Aphrodite rose to take the empire of the earth . ` It is still early for the bath , ' said the Greek , who was the creature of every poetical impulse ; ` let us wander from the crowded city , and look upon the sea while the noon yet laughs along its billows . ' ` With all my heart , ' said Clodius ; ` and the bay , too , is always the most animated part of the city . ' Pompeii was the miniature of the civilization of that age . Within the narrow compass of its walls was contained , as it were , a specimen of every gift which luxury offered to power .

1565

12

noon

Meanwhile Arbaces pursued his slow and stately way to the house of Ione . As he entered the tablinum , he heard a voice from the porticoes of the peristyle beyond , which , musical as it was , sounded displeasingly on his ear -- it was the voice of the young and beautiful Glaucus , and for the first time an involuntary thrill of jealousy shot through the breast of the Egyptian . On entering the peristyle , he found Glaucus seated by the side of Ione . The fountain in the odorous garden cast up its silver spray in the air , and kept a delicious coolness in the midst of the sultry noon . The handmaids , almost invariably attendant on Ione , who with her freedom of life preserved the most delicate modesty , sat at a little distance ; by the feet of Glaucus lay the lyre on which he had been playing to Ione one of the Lesbian airs . The scene -- the group before Arbaces , was stamped by that peculiar and refined ideality of poesy which we yet , not erroneously , imagine to be the distinction of the ancients -- the marble columns , the vases of flowers , the statue , white and tranquil , closing every vista ; and , above all , the two living forms , from which a sculptor might have caught either inspiration or despair ! Arbaces , pausing for a moment , gazed on the pair with a brow from which all the usual stern serenity had fled ; he recovered himself by an effort , and slowly approached them , but with a step so soft and echoless , that even the attendants heard him not ; much less Ione and her lover .

1565

3

three o'clock

All Nature smiles for them , and her only frown is the last one which sends them to bathe in Cocytus . Believe me , they are your only true philosophers . ' While Glaucus was thus conversing , Lepidus , with closed eyes and scarce perceptible breath , was undergoing all the mystic operations , not one of which he ever suffered his attendants to omit . After the perfumes and the unguents , they scattered over him the luxurious powder which prevented any further accession of heat : and this being rubbed away by the smooth surface of the pumice , he began to indue , not the garments he had put off , but those more festive ones termed ` the synthesis ' , with which the Romans marked their respect for the coming ceremony of supper , if rather , from its hour -LRB- three o'clock in our measurement of time -RRB- , it might not be more fitly denominated dinner . This done , he at length opened his eyes and gave signs of returning life . At the same time , too , Sallust betokened by a long yawn the evidence of existence . ` It is supper time , ' said the epicure ; ` you , Glaucus and Lepidus , come and sup with me . '

1565

0

midnight

Fool that I am -- shall I save her ? -- yes , for I love Glaucus better than myself . ' When she arrived at the house of the Athenian , she learnt that he had gone out with a party of his friends , and none knew whither . He probably would not be home before midnight . The Thessalian groaned ; she sank upon a seat in the hall and covered her face with her hands as if to collect her thoughts . ` There is no time to be lost , ' thought she , starting up . She turned to the slave who had accompanied her .

1565

1

one after one

As he thus concluded his soliloquy , the Egyptian involuntarily rose . He paced rapidly the narrow space of that star-roofed floor , and , pausing at the parapet , looked again upon the grey and melancholy heavens . The chills of the faint dawn came refreshingly upon his brow , and gradually his mind resumed its natural and collected calm . He withdrew his gaze from the stars , as , one after one , they receded into the depths of heaven ; and his eyes fell over the broad expanse below . Dim in the silenced port of the city rose the masts of the galleys ; along that mart of luxury and of labor was stilled the mighty hum . No lights , save here and there from before the columns of a temple , or in the porticoes of the voiceless forum , broke the wan and fluctuating light of the struggling morn . From the heart of the torpid city , so soon to vibrate with a thousand passions , there came no sound : the streams of life circulated not ; they lay locked under the ice of sleep .

1565

12

early noon

After the tranquillity of sixteen years , that burning and treacherous soil again menaced destruction ; they uttered but one cry , ` THE EARTHQUAKE ! THE EARTHQUAKE ! ' and passing unmolested from the midst of them , Apaecides and his companions , without entering the house , hastened down one of the alleys , passed a small open gate , and there , sitting on a little mound over which spread the gloom of the dark green aloes , the moonlight fell on the bended figure of the blind girl -- she was weeping bitterly . IT was early noon , and the forum was crowded alike with the busy and the idle . As at Paris at this day , so at that time in the cities of Italy , men lived almost wholly out of doors : the public buildings , the forum , the porticoes , the baths , the temples themselves , might be considered their real homes ; it was no wonder that they decorated so gorgeously these favorite places of resort -- they felt for them a sort of domestic affection as well as a public pride . And animated was , indeed , the aspect of the forum of Pompeii at that time ! Along its broad pavement , composed of large flags of marble , were assembled various groups , conversing in that energetic fashion which appropriates a gesture to every word , and which is still the characteristic of the people of the south .

1565

12

noon

The despicable are ever safe . ' It was with a pained , and proud , and indignant tone that Nydia made this humble reply ; and Ione felt that she only wounded Nydia by pursuing the subject . She remained silent , and the bark now floated into the sea . ` Confess that I was right , Ione , ' said Glaucus , ` in prevailing on thee not to waste this beautiful noon in thy chamber -- confess that I was right . ' ` Thou wert right , Glaucus , ' said Nydia , abruptly . ` The dear child speaks for thee , ' returned the Athenian . ` But permit me to move opposite to thee , or our light boat will be over-balanced . '

1565

12

noon

` Until last night -LRB- when a necromantic prodigy did indeed appal me -RRB- , methinks I was not credulous in any other magic save that of love ! ' said Glaucus , in a tremulous voice , and fixing his eyes on Ione . ` Ah ! ' said Nydia , with a sort of shiver , and she awoke mechanically a few pleasing notes from her lyre ; the sound suited well the tranquility of the waters , and the sunny stillness of the noon . ` Play to us , dear Nydia , said Glaucus -- ` play and give us one of thine old Thessalian songs : whether it be of magic or not , as thou wilt -- let it , at least , be of love ! ' ` Of love ! ' repeated Nydia , raising her large , wandering eyes , that ever thrilled those who saw them with a mingled fear and pity ; you could never familiarize yourself to their aspect : so strange did it seem that those dark wild orbs were ignorant of the day , and either so fixed was their deep mysterious gaze , or so restless and perturbed their glance , that you felt , when you encountered them , that same vague , and chilling , and half-preternatural impression , which comes over you in the presence of the insane -- of those who , having a life outwardly like your own , have a life within life -- dissimilar -- unsearchable -- unguessed !

1565

3

three o'clock

Glaucus did not attempt to follow , or to soothe ; he was offended ; he continued to examine the jewels and to comment on their fashion -- to object to this and to praise that , and finally to be talked by the merchant into buying all ; the safest plan for a lover , and a plan that any one will do right to adopt , provided always that he can obtain an Ione ! When he had completed his purchase and dismissed the jeweller , he retired into his chamber , dressed , mounted his chariot , and went to Ione . He thought no more of the blind girl , or her offence ; he had forgotten both the one and the other . He spent the forenoon with his beautiful Neapolitan , repaired thence to the baths , supped -LRB- if , as we have said before , we can justly so translate the three o'clock coena of the Romans -RRB- alone , and abroad , for Pompeii had its restaurateurs -- and returning home to change his dress ere he again repaired to the house of Ione , he passed the peristyle , but with the absorbed reverie and absent eyes of a man in love , and did not note the form of the poor blind girl , bending exactly in the same place where he had left her . But though he saw her not , her ear recognized at once the sound of his step . She had been counting the moments to his return . He had scarcely entered his favorite chamber , which opened on the peristyle , and seated himself musingly on his couch , when he felt his robe timorously touched , and , turning , he beheld Nydia kneeling before him , and holding up to him a handful of flowers -- a gentle and appropriate peace-offering -- her eyes , darkly upheld to his own , streamed with tears .

1565

12

noon

Come , weave the wreath , the roses weave , The rose at least is ours : To feeble hearts our fathers leave , In pitying scorn , the flowers ! On the summit , worn and hoary , Of Phyle 's solemn hill , The tramp of the brave is still ! And still in the saddening Mart , The pulse of that mighty heart , Whose very blood was glory ! Glaucopis forsakes her own , The angry gods forget us ; But yet , the blue streams along , Walk the feet of the silver Song ; And the night-bird wakes the moon ; And the bees in the blushing noon Haunt the heart of the old Hymettus . We are fallen , but not forlorn , If something is left to cherish ; As Love was the earliest born , So Love is the last to perish . Wreathe then the roses , wreathe The BEAUTIFUL still is ours , While the stream shall flow and the sky shall glow , The BEAUTIFUL still is ours ! Whatever is fair , or soft , or bright , In the lap of day or the arms of night , Whispers our soul of Greece -- of Greece , And hushes our care with a voice of peace .

1565

0

midnight

` I have heard , too , that he languishes in ... ' ` An evil mansion ! ' said Julia , catching only the first sentence . ` Why so ? ' ` The orgies of his midnight leisure are impure and polluted -- at least , so says rumor . ' ` By Ceres , by Pan , and by Cybele ! thou dost but provoke my curiosity , instead of exciting my fears , ' returned the wayward and pampered Pompeian . ` I will seek and question him of his lore .

1565

0

midnight

` Oh , cease these courtesies ! ' said Julia ; ` it is a love-charm , indeed , that I would ask from thy skill ! ' ` Fair stranger ! ' replied Arbaces , somewhat scornfully , ` love-spells are not among the secrets I have wasted the midnight oil to attain . ' ` Is it indeed so ? Then pardon me , great Arbaces , and farewell ! ' ` Stay , ' said Arbaces , who , despite his passion for Ione , was not unmoved by the beauty of his visitor ; and had he been in the flush of a more assured health , might have attempted to console the fair Julia by other means than those of supernatural wisdom .

1565

12

noon

This done , he stepped forth into the portico . The skies were serene and clear ; but he , deeply read in the signs of their various change , beheld in one mass of cloud , far on the horizon , which the wind began slowly to agitate , that a storm was brooding above . ` It is like my vengeance , ' said he , as he gazed ; ` the sky is clear , but the cloud moves on . ' IT was when the heats of noon died gradually away from the earth , that Glaucus and Ione went forth to enjoy the cooled and grateful air . At that time , various carriages were in use among the Romans ; the one most used by the richer citizens , when they required no companion in their excursion , was the biga , already described in the early portion of this work ; that appropriated to the matrons , was termed carpentum , which had commonly two wheels ; the ancients used also a sort of litter , a vast sedan-chair , more commodiously arranged than the modern , inasmuch as the occupant thereof could lie down at ease , instead of being perpendicularly and stiffly jostled up and down . There was another carriage , used both for travelling and for excursions in the country ; it was commodious , containing three or four persons with ease , having a covering which could be raised at pleasure ; and , in short , answering very much the purpose of -LRB- though very different in shape from -RRB- the modern britska . It was a vehicle of this description that the lovers , accompanied by one female slave of Ione , now used in their excursion .

1565

12

noon

His whole countenance seemed instinct and inspired with a divine life : his chest swelled proudly ; his eyes glowed : on his forehead was writ the majesty of a man who can dare to be noble ! He turned to meet the eyes of Ione -- earnest , wistful , fearful -- he kissed her fondly , strained her warmly to his breast , and in a moment more he had left the house . Long did Ione remain in the same place , mute and thoughtful . The maidens again and again came to warn her of the deepening noon , and her engagement to Diomed 's banquet . At length she woke from her reverie , and prepared , not with the pride of beauty , but listless and melancholy , for the festival : one thought alone reconciled her to the promised visit -- she should meet Glaucus -- she could confide to him her alarm and uneasiness for her brother . MEANWHILE Sallust and Glaucus were slowly strolling towards the house of Diomed . Despite the habits of his life , Sallust was not devoid of many estimable qualities .

1565

12

noon

but it brings us next morning to a new death . ' ` Why , the next morning is unpleasant , I own ; but , then , if it were not so , one would never be inclined to read . I study betimes -- because , by the gods ! I am generally unfit for anything else till noon . ' ` Fie , Scythian ! ' ` Pshaw ! the fate of Pentheus to him who denies Bacchus . '

1565

12

early noon

The modern ornaments of epergne or plateau were supplied by images of the gods , wrought in bronze , ivory , and silver . The sacred salt-cellar and the familiar Lares were not forgotten . Over the table and the seats a rich canopy was suspended from the ceiling . At each corner of the table were lofty candelabra -- for though it was early noon , the room was darkened -- while from tripods , placed in different parts of the room , distilled the odor of myrrh and frankincense ; and upon the abacus , or sideboard , large vases and various ornaments of silver were ranged , much with the same ostentation -LRB- but with more than the same taste -RRB- that we find displayed at a modern feast . The custom of grace was invariably supplied by that of libations to the gods ; and Vesta , as queen of the household gods , usually received first that graceful homage . This ceremony being performed , the slaves showered flowers upon the couches and the floor , and crowned each guest with rosy garlands , intricately woven with ribands , tied by the rind of the linden-tree , and each intermingled with the ivy and the amethyst -- supposed preventives against the effect of wine ; the wreaths of the women only were exempted from these leaves , for it was not the fashion for them to drink wine in public . It was then that the president Diomed thought it advisable to institute a basileus , or director of the feast -- an important office , sometimes chosen by lot ; sometimes , as now , by the master of the entertainment .

1565

12

noon

beautiful ! the boughs are at rest ! the green waves of the forest have caught the Zephyr and drowned him ! Not a breath stirs the leaves -- and I view the Dreams sleeping with folded wings upon the motionless elm ; and I look beyond , and I see a blue stream sparkle in the silent noon ; a fountain -- a fountain springing aloft ! Ah ! my fount , thou wilt not put out rays of my Grecian sun , though thou triest ever so hard with thy nimble and silver arms . And now , what form steals yonder through the boughs ?

1565

0

midnight

` Sosia , thy freedom ! Think well ! If thou wilt let me out only for one little hour ! -- let me out at midnight -- I will return ere to-morrow 's dawn ; nay , thou canst go with me . ' ` No , ' said Sosia , sturdily , ` a slave once disobeyed Arbaces , and he was never more heard of . ' ` But the law gives a master no power over the life of a slave . ' ` The law is very obliging , but more polite than efficient .

1565

12

Noon

Whither should they fly ? Some , anticipating a second earthquake , hastened to their homes to load themselves with their more costly goods , and escape while it was yet time ; others , dreading the showers of ashes that now fell fast , torrent upon torrent , over the streets , rushed under the roofs of the nearest houses , or temples , or sheds -- shelter of any kind -- for protection from the terrors of the open air . But darker , and larger , and mightier , spread the cloud above them . It was a sudden and more ghastly Night rushing upon the realm of Noon ! STUNNED by his reprieve , doubting that he was awake , Glaucus had been led by the officers of the arena into a small cell within the walls of the theatre . They threw a loose robe over his form , and crowded round in congratulation and wonder . There was an impatient and fretful cry without the cell ; the throng gave way , and the blind girl , led by some gentler hand , flung herself at the feet of Glaucus .

1294

12

noon

Rastignac concentrates himself , pulls himself together , looks for the point to carry by storm , and goes full tilt for it . He charges like a Murat , breaks squares , pounds away at shareholders , promoters , and the whole shop , and returns , when the breach is made , to his lazy , careless life . Once more he becomes the man of the South , the man of pleasure , the trifling , idle Rastignac . He has earned the right of lying in bed till noon because a crisis never finds him asleep . '' `` So far so good , but just get to his fortune , '' said Finot . `` Bixiou will lash that off at a stroke , '' replied Blondet . `` Rastignac 's fortune was Delphine de Nucingen , a remarkable woman ; she combines boldness with foresight . ''

1294

8

eight o’clock

Nucingen has all my capital , and is giving me six per cent ; do likewise , you will have one per cent the more upon your capital , and with that you will be quite comfortable . ' `` In three days ' time our Godefroid was comfortable . His increase of income exactly supplied his superfluities ; his material happiness was complete . `` Suppose that it were possible to read the minds of all the young men in Paris at one glance -LRB- as , it appears , will be done at the Day of Judgment with all the millions upon millions that have groveled in all spheres , and worn all uniforms or the uniform of nature -RRB- , and to ask them whether happiness at six-and-twenty is or is not made up of the following items -- to wit , to own a saddle-horse and a tilbury , or a cab , with a fresh , rosy-faced Toby Joby Paddy no bigger than your fist , and to hire an unimpeachable brougham for twelve francs an evening ; to appear elegantly arrayed , agreeably to the laws that regulate a man 's clothes , at eight o'clock , at noon , four o'clock in the afternoon , and in the evening ; to be well received at every embassy , and to cull the short-lived flowers of superficial , cosmopolitan friendships ; to be not insufferably handsome , to carry your head , your coat , and your name well ; to inhabit a charming little entresol after the pattern of the rooms just described on the Quai Malaquais ; to be able to ask a party of friends to dine at the _ Rocher de Cancale _ without a previous consultation with your trousers ' pocket ; never to be pulled up in any rational project by the words , ` And the money ? ' and finally , to be able to renew at pleasure the pink rosettes that adorn the ears of three thoroughbreds and the lining of your hat ? `` To such inquiry any ordinary young man -LRB- and we ourselves that are not ordinary men -RRB- would reply that the happiness is incomplete ; that it is like the Madeleine without the altar ; that a man must love and be loved , or love without return , or be loved without loving , or love at cross purposes . Now for happiness as a mental condition .

1294

2

two o’clock in the morning

If a man mistakes his vocation , the false start none the less influences him for the rest of his life . Godefroid was so evidently smitten with Mlle. Isaure d'Aldrigger , that Rastignac went off to a tall girl chatting in the card-room . -- ` Malvina , ' he said , lowering his voice , ` your sister has just netted a fish worth eighteen thousand francs a year . He has a name , a manner , and a certain position in the world ; keep an eye on them ; be careful to gain Isaure 's confidence ; and if they philander , do not let her send word to him unless you have seen it first -- ' `` Towards two o'clock in the morning , Isaure was standing beside a diminutive Shepherdess of the Alps , a little woman of forty , coquettish as a Zerlina . A footman announced that ` Mme. la Baronne 's carriage stops the way , ' and Godefroid forthwith saw his beautiful maiden out of a German song draw her fantastical mother into the cloakroom , whither Malvina followed them ; and -LRB- boy that he was -RRB- he must needs go to discover into what pot of preserves the infant Joby had fallen , and had the pleasure of watching Isaure and Malvina coaxing that sparkling person , their mamma , into her pelisse , with all the little tender precautions required for a night journey in Paris . Of course , the girls on their side watched Beaudenord out of the corners of their eyes , as well-taught kittens watch a mouse , without seeming to see it at all . With a certain satisfaction Beaudenord noted the bearing , manner , and appearance , of the tall well-gloved Alsacien servant in livery who brought three pairs of fur-lined overshoes for his mistresses .

1294

9

nine o’clock

They rejoiced in the possession of a handsome ground floor and a strip of garden ; for amusement , they watched a little squirt of water , no bigger than a cornstalk , perpetually rising and falling upon a small round freestone slab in the middle of a basin some six feet across ; they would rise early of a morning to see if the plants in the garden had grown in the night ; they had nothing to do , they were restless , they dressed for the sake of dressing , bored themselves at the theatre , and were for ever going to and fro between Paris and Luzarches , where they had a country house . I have dined there . `` Once they tried to quiz me , Blondet . I told them a long-winded story that lasted from nine o'clock till midnight , one tale inside another . I had just brought my twenty-ninth personage upon the scene -LRB- the newspapers have plagiarized with their ` continued in our next ' -RRB- , when old Matifat , who as host still held out , snored like the rest , after blinking for five minutes . Next day they all complimented me upon the ending of my tale ! `` These tradespeople 's society consisted of M. and Mme. Cochin , Mme. Desroches , and a young Popinot , still in the drug business , who used to bring them news of the Rue des Lombards .

1294

2

two o’clock in the morning

`` In forty-eight hours , Godefroid de Beaudenord , late of the diplomatic corps , saw through the Matifats and their nefarious designs , '' resumed Bixiou . `` Rastignac happened to be chatting with the frivolous Baroness when Godefroid came in to give his report to Malvina . A word here and there reached his ear ; he guessed the matter on foot , more particularly from Malvina 's look of satisfaction that it was as she had suspected . Then Rastignac actually stopped on till two o'clock in the morning . And yet there are those that call him selfish ! Beaudenord took his departure when the Baroness went to bed . `` As soon as Rastignac was left alone with Malvina , he spoke in a fatherly , good-humored fashion .

1294

2

two o’clock in the morning

And yet there are those that call him selfish ! Beaudenord took his departure when the Baroness went to bed . `` As soon as Rastignac was left alone with Malvina , he spoke in a fatherly , good-humored fashion . ` Dear child , please to bear in mind that a poor fellow , heavy with sleep , has been drinking tea to keep himself awake till two o'clock in the morning , all for a chance of saying a solemn word of advice to you -- _ Marry _ ! Do not be too particular ; do not brood over your feelings ; never mind the sordid schemes of men that have one foot here and another in the Matifats ' house ; do not stop to think at all : Marry ! -- When a girl marries , it means that the man whom she marries undertakes to maintain her in a more or less good position in life , and at any rate her comfort is assured . I know the world .

1294

4

four o’clock

-- ` A quarrel ? ' hazarded Godefroid . -- ` No . ' -- At four o'clock the women took flight for the Bois de Boulogne ; Rastignac stayed in the room and looked out of the window , fixing his melancholy gaze upon Toby Joby Paddy , who stood , his arms crossed in Napoleonic fashion , audaciously posted in front of Beaudenord 's cab horse . The child could only control the animal with his shrill little voice , but the horse was afraid of Joby Toby . ``` Well , ' began Godefroid , ` what is the matter with you , my dear fellow ? You look gloomy and anxious ; your gaiety is forced .

1294

17

five in the afternoon

` And there is one more settled ! ' he added to himself as he left Beaudenord . `` While Rastignac was manoeuvring thus in Paris , imagine the state of things on the Bourse . A friend of mine , a provincial , a stupid creature , once asked me as we came past the Bourse between four and five in the afternoon what all that crowd of chatterers was doing , what they could possibly find to say to each other , and why they were wandering to and fro when business in public securities was over for the day . ` My friend , ' said I , ` they have made their meal , and now they are digesting it ; while they digest it , they gossip about their neighbors , or there would be no commercial security in Paris . Concerns are floated here , such and such a man -- Palma , for instance , who is something the same here as Sinard at the Academie Royale des Sciences -- Palma says , `` let the speculation be made ! '' and the speculation is made .

1294

16

four o’clock in the afternoon

He looks solemn , he listens , ponders , and reflects ; his interlocutor thinks that after this consideration he has come round his man , till Palma says , ` This will not do for me . ' -- The most extraordinary thing about Palma , to my mind , is the fact that he and Werbrust were partners for ten years , and there was never the shadow of a disagreement between them . '' `` That is the way with the very strong or the very weak ; any two between the extremes fall out and lose no time in making enemies of each other , '' said Couture . `` Nucingen , you see , had neatly and skilfully put a little bombshell under the colonnades of the Bourse , and towards four o'clock in the afternoon it exploded . -- ` Here is something serious ; have you heard the news ? ' asked du Tillet , drawing Werbrust into a corner . ` Here is Nucingen gone off to Brussels , and his wife petitioning for a separation of her estate . '

24025

8

eight o'clock

`` I think we had better come and help you , then . '' `` Better finish our own first ! '' grunted Lettice , for which remark she was promptly snubbed by her elder sister . `` Miss Maitland will be up at eight o'clock to look at our drawers , '' said Chatty Burns . `` She 'll expect you to have everything put away , and your coats and dresses hung in the wardrobe . '' `` We have to be so fearfully tidy here ! '' sighed Adeline Vaughan .

24025

4

four o'clock

She had a good view of her schoolfellows , more than half of whom seemed of about the same age as herself , though there were tall girls , with their hair already put up , and a few younger ones who had apparently only just entered their teens . Grace was sung , and then the urns began to fill an almost ceaseless stream of cups , while plates of bread and butter circulated with much rapidity . `` We 're late to-day , '' explained Honor 's neighbour , `` because the train from the North does not get in until five . Our usual tea-time is four o'clock , after games ; then we have supper at half-past seven , when we 've finished evening preparation . Did you bring any jam ? Your hamper will be unpacked to-morrow , and the pots labelled with your name . I expect you 'll find one opposite your plate at breakfast .

24025

2

two o'clock

He was much annoyed at the governess 's departure , for which he had the justice to blame Honor alone ; and he was worried with business matters . `` That tiresome agent has not sent the telegram I expected , '' he announced . `` I shall be obliged to go over to Cork , to consult my solicitor . Tell Murphy to have the trap ready by two o'clock , and let Holmes pack my bag . I shall probably be away until Friday evening . '' As soon as her father had started for the station , Honor sauntered out in the direction of the stables . It was one of her mother 's bad days .

24025

3

three o'clock

It was one of her mother 's bad days . Mrs. Fitzgerald was confined to her room , therefore Honor , released from Miss Bury 's authority , felt herself her own mistress . Finding Fergus , the groom , she ordered him to saddle Pixie , and make ready to accompany her on a ride . Fergus was devoted to `` Miss Honor '' , and would never have dreamt of disputing any command she might give him ; before three o'clock , therefore , her pony was at the door , and , dressed in her neat blue habit , she was ambling away in the direction of Ballycroghan . It was a leisurely progress , for poor Pixie 's gait was slow , in spite of his best endeavours , and Honor loved him too well to urge him hard . She was determined to call at the horse-dealer 's , and to ascertain if Firefly were still for sale . Perhaps , when her father returned home , she might catch him at a favourable moment , and be able to cajole him into changing his mind and buying the cob .

24025

12

noon

I 'd rather be for selling him to the Castle . Miss Fitzgerald took the fancy for him , and I 'll not be parting with him till I 've had word again from the Major . ' Maybe his honour will be wanting him , after all ? But sure I must know at once , for the Limerick man will be here at noon to-morrow , and I 've promised to tell him one way or another . '' `` Could you possibly wait until Saturday ? '' asked Honor . The dealer shook his head .

24025

12

noon

`` Must you absolutely have an answer to-day ? '' she asked . `` Yes , missy . I fear I could n't put off Sullivan any longer than noon to-morrow . He 's a touchy man , and ready to carry his business elsewhere . '' `` Very well , then , that settles the matter . We will take the cob .

24025

6

a quarter to seven

Though the whole school met together every day for lessons , the members of each different house resembled a separate family , and were keenly anxious to maintain the honour of their particular establishment . Miss Cavendish did not wish to excite rivalry , yet she thought a spirit of friendly emulation was on the whole salutary , and encouraged matches between the various house teams , or competitions among the choral and debating societies . The rules for all were exactly similar . Every morning , at a quarter to seven , a clanging bell rang in the passages for a sufficient length of time to disturb even the soundest of slumbers ; breakfast was at half-past seven , and at half-past eight everybody was due in chapel for a short service ; lectures and classes occupied the morning from nine till one , and the afternoon was devoted to games ; tea was at four , and supper at half-past seven , with preparation in between ; and after that hour came sewing and recreation , until bedtime . It was a well-arranged and reasonable division of time , calculated to include right proportions of work and play . _ Mens sana in corpore sano _ was Miss Cavendish 's favourite motto , and the clean bill of health , the successes in examinations , and the high moral tone that prevailed throughout pointed to the fulfilment of her ideal . Most of the girls were thoroughly happy at Chessington College , and , though it is in girl nature to grumble at rules and lessons , there was scarcely one who would have cared to leave it if she had been given the opportunity .

24025

8

twenty-five minutes past eight

They were allowed a little latitude in the way of embroideries with respect to best frocks , but their everyday , ordinary clothes were required to be of the school pattern , with the addition of sailor hats and knitted coats , for use in running across the quadrangle on wet or cold days . Miss Cavendish considered that this rule encouraged simplicity , and provided against any undue extravagance in the matter of dress . She did not allow rings or bracelets to be worn , and the sole vanity permitted to the girls was in the choice of their hair ribbons . Punctually at twenty-five minutes past eight each morning the bell in the little chapel began to give warning , and by half-past every member of the school was expected to have taken her seat , and to be ready for the short service held there daily by the senior curate of the parish church at Dunscar . In twos and threes and small groups the girls came hurrying in answer to the call of the tinkling bell . Though they laughed and talked as they ran across the quadrangle , they sobered down as they neared the door , and , each taking a Prayer Book from a pile laid ready in the porch , passed silently and reverently into the chapel . Every house had its own special rows of seats , and the sailor hats that mingled like a kaleidoscope in the grounds were here divided into their several sets of colours , though sometimes varied by a gleam of ruby or amber falling from the stained-glass windows above .

24025

1

one o'clock

She felt for the first time that she was a unit in a large community , and began to have some dim perception of that esprit de corps to which Miss Cavendish had referred during their interview in the study . In spite of her previous laziness and neglect of work , Honor was a very bright girl , and she contrived even in that first morning to satisfy Miss Farrar that she was capable of doing well if she wished . Perhaps , after all , the four-leaved shamrock had sent her a little luck , for she happened to remember a date which the rest of the Form had forgotten , and won corresponding credit in consequence . When one o'clock arrived she arranged her new textbooks and notebooks in the desk that had been allotted to her next to Lettice Talbot . `` Did you get into a fearful scrape with Miss Cavendish , Paddy ? '' whispered the latter eagerly . `` Do tell me about it ! ''

24025

10

ten o'clock

`` I wo n't call them Sunday books , '' she sometimes said , `` because I consider our religion would be a very poor thing if it were only kept for one day in the week . What we learn in this quiet time we must apply in our busy hours , and let the helpful words we read influence our ordinary life and go towards the building of character , which is the most invaluable of all possessions . '' At half-past six there was a short service in chapel ; and the rest of the evening , after supper , was given up to the writing of home letters . All the routine of the school was still new to Honor , and she felt very strange and unusual as , precisely at ten o'clock , she took her place among the lines of Chessingtonians marshalled in the quadrangle preparatory to setting off for church . Miss Cavendish gave the signal to start , and the two hundred girls filed along two and two , all dressed alike in white serge coats and skirts and best sailor hats , with their house colours , the blue ribbons of the School House leading the way , followed by the pink of St. Aldwyth 's , and the orange , violet , and scarlet of St. Chad 's , St. Bride 's , and St. Hilary 's , respectively . `` I believe it 's considered one of the sights of the neighbourhood to see us parade through the lich-gate , '' said Lettice Talbot , who happened to be walking with Honor . `` Visitors stand in the churchyard and try to count us .

24025

1

one o'clock

Even Janie Henderson , whose retiring disposition involved her in few disputes with her schoolfellows , found a cause for complaint . It was one of the ordinary regulations that the girls should each take the office of warden for a week in turn , the duties being to give out any necessary books , clean the blackboard , distribute fresh pens and blotting-paper , and collect any articles that might be left in the room after lesson hours . By general custom all pencils , india-rubbers , or other stray possessions were put into what was known as the forfeit tray , whence their owners might reclaim them by paying the penalty of the loss of an order mark . Each girl had her pencil-box , in which she was expected to keep her own property ; but many things were usually left lying about , and the warden always made a careful search at one o'clock . The most cherished object in Janie 's desk was a little , pearl-handled penknife , which she greatly valued . She guarded it zealously , lending it as seldom as she could , and taking good care that it was always returned to her immediately . One unfortunate day , however , she had been sharpening her pencil at the close of the arithmetic lesson , and in the preoccupation of correcting her answers she laid her treasure down , and forgot all about it .

24025

2

two o'clock

Their opposite dispositions seemed to dovetail into one another , and so to cause little friction ; and Miss Maitland , whose observant eyes noticed more than her pupils imagined , was well satisfied with the result of her experiment . Janie kept Honor up to the mark in the way of work ; she would generally go over dates or difficult points in the lessons while they were dressing each morning , and it was chiefly owing to her efforts that Honor held a tolerably high place in her class . The latter often wished that she could have performed a like service for her friend in respect of athletics , but Janie was hopeless at physical sports , and endured them only under compulsion . Every afternoon , from two o'clock till a quarter to four , all the girls were required to take part in organized games , under the direction of Miss Young , the gymnastic mistress . They were allowed their choice between cricket and tennis , but during the specified hours they must not be absent from the playing-fields , as this systematic outdoor exercise formed part of the ordinary course of the school . Now and then it was varied by a walk , and occasionally by an archery or croquet tournament ; but these were reserved for insufferably hot days , and the time , as a rule , was devoted to more active pursuits . The cricket pitch lay to the west of the College , a splendid , level tract of ground , commanding a glorious prospect of low , undulating hills , cliffs bordering a shingly beach , and the long , blue stretch of the Channel beyond .

24025

4

four o'clock

Now and then it was varied by a walk , and occasionally by an archery or croquet tournament ; but these were reserved for insufferably hot days , and the time , as a rule , was devoted to more active pursuits . The cricket pitch lay to the west of the College , a splendid , level tract of ground , commanding a glorious prospect of low , undulating hills , cliffs bordering a shingly beach , and the long , blue stretch of the Channel beyond . All the healthy moorland and sea breezes seemed to blow there , filling the lungs with pure , fresh air , and well justifying Miss Cavendish 's boast that Chessington was the most bracing place in the kingdom for growing girls . Even Janie 's pale cheeks would take a tinge of pink as she ran , unwillingly enough , in chase of a ball ; and the majority of the school would come in at four o'clock flushed and rosy , and very ready indeed for the piles of thick bread and butter that awaited them in the various dining-halls . Honor took to the games with enthusiasm . Having served an apprenticeship in the Beginners ' Division at cricket , and having shown Miss Young her capacity in the way of batting and bowling , she was allowed a place in the St. Chad 's team . It happened that on the very day of her promotion her house played St. Hilary 's , and there was great excitement about the match , because the latter was generally considered the crack team of the College .

24025

2

two o'clock

Honor slept between the blankets that night , and her slumbers were haunted by a vision of Miss Maitland , as an avenging spectre , arrayed in the mutilated sheets . The dream was certainly prophetic , for the house-mistress was extremely angry on discovering the damage done , and gave Honor a lecture such as she richly deserved . `` You will stay in from cricket to-day , and mend the sheets , '' she decreed , at the conclusion of the scolding . `` You will find them ready fixed by two o'clock . I shall expect the seams to be neatly run , and the edges turned over and hemmed . '' Honor groaned . After the excitement of yesterday 's match , she had been looking forward to the cricket practice ; moreover , she hated sewing .

24025

4

four o'clock

But there was no appeal . Each house-mistress had authority to suspend games , if necessary , so she was compelled to pass a weary afternoon at a most uncongenial occupation . `` It 's hard labour ! '' she exclaimed , when Janie ran in at four o'clock . `` Finished ! No ! I 've only run one seam , and hemmed about six inches .

24025

8

eight o'clock

We 've almost too many pieces to get through in the time . '' The rest of the music went off successfully . Nobody broke down , or even made a bad stumble , a subject of much self-congratulation to several nervous performers and of great relief to Vivian , who , as monitress of the house , always arranged the little concerts as a surprise for Miss Maitland , the latter preferring that the girls should settle all details amongst themselves , instead of leaving matters to a teacher . Coffee was brought in at eight o'clock , after which the recitations began immediately . At this state of the entertainment Honor felt magnanimous . She did not want to involve Flossie in serious trouble , so , slipping quietly away , she ran upstairs , unlocked the door of Miss Maitland 's bedroom , and released her prisoner . The disappointed violinist emerged looking decidedly glum .

24025

3

two until four

A Relapse Towards the end of June there was a burst of very warm weather , so sultry and hot as to make games , or any form of violent exertion , almost an impossibility . Ruth Latimer fainted one day when she was fielding , after which Miss Cavendish absolutely prohibited cricket in the blazing sun , and set to work to devise other means of occupation . The girls themselves would have been ready enough to lounge about all the afternoon in the grounds , chatting and doing nothing , but of that the head mistress did not approve ; she considered it might tend to encourage habits of gossip and idling , and much preferred that everyone should have some definite employment . She temporarily altered the hours of work , setting preparation from two until four , so that in the evening the school might be free to go out and enjoy the breeze that often rose towards sunset . In the circumstances , this really seemed a better division of time , for during the early afternoon it was actually cooler in the house , with sunblinds drawn to protect the windows , than out-of-doors ; and though there were many groans at having to learn lessons and write exercises immediately after dinner , on the whole the change was regarded with favour . General public opinion would have decided on swimming as the most suitable occupation in the state of the thermometer , but since the events related in the last chapter Miss Cavendish would not allow more than eight girls to go into the sea at once . `` It is as many as Miss Young can undertake to be responsible for , '' she said .

24025

9

nine o'clock

`` No , I sha n't -- not if we 've had our fun first . I shall turn philosophical , and say : ` You ca n't eat your cake and have it ' , and ` Every dog has his day ' , or any other little platitude I can think of . In the meantime , it 's our day , and I 'm glad to see it 's a particularly fine one . '' At precisely nine o'clock , just when the rest of the Chessingtonians were filing into classes , the Chaddites were assembled in the quadrangle , and at a signal from Miss Maitland started off , two and two , to walk to Dunscar , where they were to catch the steamer to Avonmouth , the nearest point for Baldurstone . Everything seemed delightful -- the brisk march in the fresh morning air , the bright sunshine , the glinting , sparkling sea , the foam churned up by the steamer 's revolving screw , the cries of the seagulls , and the steady motion of the vessel as she headed out of the bay . The breeze in the Channel was exhilarating , and so cool as to make the girls appreciate Miss Maitland 's wisdom in having insisted upon all bringing wraps . `` I thought it seemed as foolish as carrying one 's winter fur and muff on a broiling day like this , '' commented Lettice , `` but I really think I should have been cold without my coat .

24025

5

five o'clock

They were landed in small boats , for there was no pier , and vessels of any considerable size could not cross the harbour bar . Miss Maitland counted up her forty pupils as they stood on the jetty -- a precaution that seemed more of a formality than a necessity , as everyone had taken good care not to be left behind . `` We have exactly three and a half hours here , '' she said . `` The steamer will be back at five o'clock . That gives us plenty of time to walk to the Abbey , and enjoy the ruins . I have ordered tea to be ready for us as soon as we return on board . We shall be very hungry by then , I 'm afraid , but there is nowhere to buy refreshments in this tiny place . ''

24025

0

the midnight sun

I like helping to carry the lunch in the little pony trap on to the moors ; and we have jolly times in the evening -- games , and music , and dancing . Have your people settled any plans yet , Pauline ? '' `` They talk of Norway . It would be glorious to see the midnight sun , and the lovely pine forests . I 've wanted to go ever since I read _ Feats on the Fiord _ . '' `` You wo n't find it so romantic as that , '' laughed Ruth Latimer . `` Things have changed since the time Harriet Martineau wrote about it .

24025

9

nearly nine o'clock

`` What a nuisance ! I do n't want to go to bed . '' Chatty had accurately guessed the monitress 's errand . `` It 's nearly nine o'clock , '' proclaimed Vivian . `` Did n't you hear the bell ? I rang it at the side door . '' `` We did n't hear a sound , '' replied Lettice .

24025

5

five o'clock

But do tell me why you 're getting up at this extraordinary hour ? '' said Janie , in a subdued tone . `` I 'm in a dreadful fix ! I must meet Dermot down on the beach soon after five o'clock . '' `` Meet Dermot ! Your brother ? But why ? ''

24025

5

five o'clock

He must not know on any account . It is of no use writing to Brian or the others , because it is so near the end of the term they 're sure to have no money left . Have you spent all yours ? I am going to get up before five o'clock to-morrow and climb out through the dormitory window , and go along the shore to the beach below Chessington , just by your bathing-place . Can you manage to do the same , and bring me any cash you can gather ? Perhaps Blake might take something on account , if you have n't the whole . The janitor has promised to go with this letter to St. Chad 's ; he says he thinks he can get it smuggled in through his niece , who is a servant there .

24025

5

a quarter to six

I 'll have to borrow it now , I 'm afraid ; but I 'll get you another some time , I promise you faithfully . '' `` I do n't care in the least , so long as you get out of this scrape , '' protested Honor . The sun was already so high that its bright rays , reflected in a little pool near their feet , warned the pair that it was no longer safe to delay their parting . `` It 's a quarter to six ! '' exclaimed Dermot , looking at his watch . `` I must absolutely fly . I 'll run all the way to Dunscar .

24025

6

a quarter to seven

`` These hot nights are very trying , even with both one 's bedroom windows wide open . '' After all , it was not a very desperate offence , and there seemed no need to report it to Miss Maitland . Vivian determined to listen for Honor 's footsteps and catch her on the stairs as she came back , or , at any rate , to tax her with the affair later during the day , and point out that in future such early rambles could not be allowed . In the meantime , she went back to bed , and , in spite of her resolution to intercept the returning wanderer , fell asleep again , and heard nothing until the bell rang at a quarter to seven . In the busy whirl of occupations that followed , there was no opportunity for any private conversation with Honor , either before or after morning school ; and immediately dinner was over , all the Chaddites rushed off to watch a croquet tournament between mistresses and monitresses , in which Vivian herself was taking part . The day , therefore , passed exactly as usual , and it was not until after tea , when the girls were just going to preparation , that anything particular occurred . At precisely half-past four o'clock Janie Henderson chanced to be walking down the passage when she saw the door of Miss Maitland 's study suddenly open , and Vivian Holmes come out , looking so greatly agitated and upset that Janie stopped in amazement .

24025

4

four o'clock

In the meantime , she went back to bed , and , in spite of her resolution to intercept the returning wanderer , fell asleep again , and heard nothing until the bell rang at a quarter to seven . In the busy whirl of occupations that followed , there was no opportunity for any private conversation with Honor , either before or after morning school ; and immediately dinner was over , all the Chaddites rushed off to watch a croquet tournament between mistresses and monitresses , in which Vivian herself was taking part . The day , therefore , passed exactly as usual , and it was not until after tea , when the girls were just going to preparation , that anything particular occurred . At precisely half-past four o'clock Janie Henderson chanced to be walking down the passage when she saw the door of Miss Maitland 's study suddenly open , and Vivian Holmes come out , looking so greatly agitated and upset that Janie stopped in amazement . `` Why , what 's the matter ? '' she exclaimed , for she was on sufficiently friendly terms with the monitress to venture the enquiry . `` A great deal 's the matter ! ''

24025

9

nine o'clock

I was called away , and left the room for about ten minutes , or a quarter of an hour . When I returned , I found to my astonishment that the money was gone . I searched everywhere , and it had certainly not fallen on to the floor , nor was it amongst my papers ; so I can only conclude that someone must have come in and taken it . I have made careful enquiries as to who was seen near my study last night , and I hear that you climbed up the lime tree and entered the room by the window shortly before nine o'clock . Is that so ? '' `` Yes , Miss Maitland , '' replied Honor , without any hesitation . `` I did come in , but I only stayed a minute .

24025

9

nine o'clock

The supper-bell fortunately put an end to the unpleasant scene , and nobody was surprised when Honor , instead of walking into the dining-hall with the others , marched straight upstairs to her cubicle . Miss Maitland noticed her empty place at table , but made no remark . Perhaps , like the girls , she felt her absence to be a relief . When Janie went to No. 8 at nine o'clock she found her friend already in bed , and feigning sleep with such persistence that she evidently did not wish to be disturbed . Always tactful and thoughtful , Janie drew the curtain again without attempting any conversation . She knew that Honor 's heart must be too full for speech , and that the truest kindness was to leave her alone . A Rash Step Honor 's sleep was undoubtedly of a very pretended description .

24025

9

nine o'clock

A Rash Step Honor 's sleep was undoubtedly of a very pretended description . She lay still in bed , pressing her hand to her burning head , to try to calm the throbbing in her temples and allow herself to think collectedly . She must decide upon what course she meant to take , for matters could not go on thus any longer . Before nine o'clock to-morrow morning she must again face Miss Maitland , and take her choice between betraying Dermot and her expulsion from St. Chad 's . In either case , the danger to her brother seemed great . If Miss Cavendish wrote to Major Fitzgerald , asking him to remove his daughter from the College , he would naturally come over to Chessington and make full enquiries as to the reason . She would not be able to face her father 's questions , and Dermot 's secret would come out , after all .

24025

4

about four o'clock

Mr. Donovan had often been on business at Kilmore Castle ; she knew the address of his office , and was sure that he would advance her sufficient to pay for both the steamer journey and her railway ticket to Ballycroghan . The first thing , therefore , to be done was to leave the College as early and as secretly as she could . She did not dare to go to sleep , but lay tossing uneasily until the first hint of dawn . Sunrise was at about four o'clock , so soon after half-past three it was just light enough to enable her to get up and dress . Miss Maitland had sent a glass of milk and a plate of sandwiches and biscuits for her supper the night before , but she had left them untouched on her dressing-table . Now , however , she had the forethought to drink the milk and put the biscuits and sandwiches in her pocket . The face which confronted her when she looked in the glass hardly seemed her own , it was so unwontedly pale , and had such dark rings round the eyes .

24025

8

nearly eight o'clock

A strange bed indeed , and very different from the one in her cubicle at St. Chad 's ! But at least she was free to go when she pleased ; she meant to be up at daybreak , before anyone on the farm was astir , and to-morrow she would surely reach Westhaven and the steamer , and be able to start for that goal of all her wanderings -- home . It is easy enough before you go to sleep to resolve that you will rouse yourself at a certain time , but not quite so simple to carry it out , especially when you happen to be dead tired ; and Honor 's case was no exception to the rule . Instead of waking at dawn , she slept peacefully till nearly eight o'clock , and might even have slept on longer still if the farmer and his son had not chanced to stroll into the barn on their way to the stable . The boy was walking to the far end to hang a rope on a nail , when he suddenly ran back , with his eyes nearly dropping from his head with surprise . `` Dad ! '' he cried .

24025

9

nine o'clock

I believe I saw him just now , shutting up the greenhouse . '' After a rather lengthy search , the girls at last discovered the old gardener putting away his tools in the potting shed . `` Johnson , please , we want to ask you a question , '' began Janie . `` Were you near St. Chad 's at nine o'clock on the night before last ; and did you happen to see anyone climbing the lime tree that stands close to the house ? '' Johnson stroked his chin reflectively . `` It could n't have been last night , '' he replied , after a few moments ' consideration . `` I was in Dunscar then .

24024

0

midnight

He has also been a large contributor to those beautifully printed , useful , and fashionable hebdomadals , the Milliners ' Literary Gazette , Young Ladies ' Companion , _ et id genus omne _ . The ode ran thus : -- The warrior fights , and dies for fame -- The empty glories of a name ; -- But we who linger round this spot , The warrior 's guerdon covet Nott . Nott for the miser 's glittering heap Within these walls is bartered sleep ; The humble scholar 's quiet lot With dreams of wealth is troubled Nott . While poring o'er the midnight lamp , In rooms too cold , and sometimes damp , O man , who land and cash hast got , Thy life of ease we envy Nott . Our troubles here are light and few ; -- An empty purse when bills fall due , A locker , without e'er a shot , -- Hard recitations , or a Knot . Ty problem , which we ca n't untie , -- Our only shirt hung out to dry , -- A chum who never pays his scot , -- Such ills as these we value Nott . O , cherished ***** !

24024

12

twelve o'clock

A poet could not have gone to bed on such a night , and amid such a scene of gloomy grandeur as this . But the agent of the Lady-of-the-Lake was not distinguished for enthusiasm of that sort , and he turned into his berth -- having no oyster-supper to eat -- at a very early hour , and betook himself to dreaming -- not `` of antres vast and desarts idle , '' -- or of what is sublime and glorious in creation , -- but of piston-rods and safety-valves -- pence and passengers . But his repose was disturbed in a manner alike unexpected and unwelcome ; by a catastrophe , too , which had well-nigh deprived the world of the farther services of Mr. Wheelwright , and his biographer of the pleasing duty of extending these memoirs beyond the present chapter . In plain terms , at about half-past twelve o'clock he was awakened by a choking sensation , and sprang upon his feet , already half suffocated by smoke . The awful truth of the cause was literally _ flashing _ around him upon all sides . The Lady-of-the-Lake -- the first of the fair upon whom he had ever in fact bestowed his affections -- was not only on fire , but the flames had already made such progress in the work of destruction as at once to preclude the hope of extinguishing them . From the cabin windows , the appearance rendered it certain that the whole structure was wrapped in a sheet of flame .