seven o’clock in the morning
`` It is supposed that , after dinner , in place of going to his own room , Danègre slipped into the wardrobe-closet , and , through the glass door , had seen the countess hide the precious black pearl . This is simply a theory , as yet unverified by any evidence . There is , also , another obscure point . At seven o'clock in the morning , Danègre went to the tobacco-shop on the Boulevard de Courcelles ; the concierge and the shop-keeper both affirm this fact . On the other hand , the countess ' companion and cook , who sleep at the end of the hall , both declare that , when they arose at eight o'clock , the door of the antechamber and the door of the kitchen were locked . These two persons have been in the service of the countess for twenty years , and are above suspicion . The question is : How did Danègre leave the apartment ?