seven o'clock
Be that as it may , I betook myself for the nonce to the Hôtel des Moines in the centre of the town and killed time for the rest of the day as best I could . For one thing I needed rest after the emotions and the fatigue of the past forty-eight hours . Remember , Sir , I had not slept for two nights and had spent the last eight hours on the narrow front seat of a jolting chaise . So I had a good rest in the afternoon , and at seven o'clock I presented myself once more at the house in the Avenue du Jura . My intention was to retire early to bed after spending an agreeable evening with the family , who would no doubt overwhelm me with their gratitude , and at daybreak I would drive back to Gex after I had heard all the latest news from Leroux . I confess that it was with a pardonable feeling of agitation that I tugged at the wrought-iron bell-pull on the perron of the magnificent mansion in the Avenue du Jura . To begin with I felt somewhat rueful at having to appear before ladies at this hour in my travelling clothes , and then , you will admit , Sir , that it was a somewhat awkward predicament for a man of highly sensitive temperament to meet on terms of equality a refined if stout lady whose son he had just helped to send to the gallows .