about five o'clock
Riding gave me a great appetite , and I was fortunate in coming upon an inn at Durtal whose table was worthy of my capacity . After dinner , we took the road again and proceeded at an easy pace toward La Flèche . Toward the middle of the afternoon a vague uneasiness stole over me , as if some tragic circumstance lay waiting on the path -- to me unknown -- ahead . It was about five o'clock when we rode into La Flèche , and the feeling of ill foreboding still possessed me . Partly considering this , and partly as it was improbable I should find the best accommodations anywhere else short of Le Mans , I decided to put up here for the night . As I rode into the central square of the town , I saw an inn there : it had a prosperous and honest look , so I said , `` This is the place for my money , '' and made for it . The square was empty and silent when I entered it , but just as I reached the archway of the inn , I heard a voice singing , whereupon I looked around and saw a young man riding into the square from another street than that I had come from .