ten in the morning
He was greatly distressed , and said he had never seen the importance of the secret . He remembered he had told several people of it , and among others the Princess Zichy . In that way I found out that it was she who had robbed me , and I know that from the moment I left London she was following me , and that she knew then that the diamonds were concealed in my cigar-case . `` My train for Nice left Paris at ten in the morning . When I travel at night I generally tell the chef de gare that I am a Queen 's Messenger , and he gives me a compartment to myself , but in the daytime I take whatever offers . On this morning I had found an empty compartment , and I had tipped the guard to keep everyone else out , not from any fear of losing the diamonds , but because I wanted to smoke . He had locked the door , and as the last bell had rung I supposed I was to travel alone , so I began to arrange my traps and make myself comfortable .