nine o'clock
His store was not more than fifty yards from the place of landing and , as soon as he returned , the work began . In an hour and a half the whole of the barrels were carried over . The farmer 's wife had seen to the carriage of her portion of the cargo to the inn her husband frequented on these occasions . It was close to the marketplace , and there she would , as soon as the market opened in the morning , dispose of them ; and by nine o'clock they would be on board again . When the last barrel was carried into the store , the farmer handed Jacques the crown he had taken , as pledge for the performance of the bargain . `` You are smart fellows , '' he said , `` and nimble . The same number of these towns fellows would have taken double the time that you have done ; and I must have had six , at least , to have got the wine safely stored before nightfall . ''