ten o'clock
His cigar went out , but he did not notice that , and chewed away quite contentedly on the dead butt . When he had finished , his cold eye exhibited a gleam of satisfaction . He had resolved on a course of action . At ten o'clock he went to bed . Next morning Mallock closed the door behind him promptly upon the stroke of eight . It was strange that not one living soul but Mallock had ever entered Newmark 's abode . Curiosity had at first brought a few callers ; but these were always met by the imperturbable servant with so plausible a reason for his master 's absence that the visitors had departed without a suspicion that they had been deliberately excluded .