midday
Well ! it was three days ago , and as bitterly cold as anything that my man and I can remember . We had no travellers staying in the house , for we are a good three leagues out of Calais , and too far for the folk who have business in or about the harbour . Only at midday the coffee-room would get full sometimes with people on their way to or from the port . But in the evenings the place was quite deserted , and so lonely that at times we fancied that we could hear the wolves howling in the forest of St. Pierre . It was close on eight o'clock , and my man was putting up the shutters , when suddenly we heard the tramp of feet on the road outside , and then the quick word , `` Halt ! '' The next moment there was a peremptory knock at the door .