about nine o'clock
He knelt at his wife 's feet , begged her pardon a thousand times , swore that he adored her , and declared that the illness and the effect of the wine had been purely the consequences of fasting and overwork . It was not the easiest thing in the world to reassure a woman whose pride , affection , and taste had been so severely wounded ; but Natalie tried to believe , or to appear to do so , and a sort of reconciliation ensued , not quite sincere on the part of the wife , and very humbling on the part of the husband . Under these circumstances it was impossible that he should recover his spirits or facility of manner ; his gayety was forced , his tenderness constrained ; his heart was heavy within him ; and ever and anon the source whence all this disappointment and woe had sprung would recur to his perplexed and tortured mind . Thus mutually pained and distrustful , they returned to Paris , which they reached about nine o'clock . In spite of her depression , Natalie , who had not seen her new apartments , felt some curiosity about them , whilst De Chaulieu anticipated a triumph in exhibiting the elegant home he had prepared for her . With some alacrity , therefore , they stepped out of the carriage , the gates of the hotel were thrown open , the _ concierge _ rang the bell which announced to the servants that their master and mistress had arrived ; and whilst these domestics appeared above , holding lights over the balusters , Natalie , followed by her husband , ascended the stairs . But when they reached the landing-place of the first flight , they saw the figure of a man standing in a corner , as if to make way for them .