ten o'clock
Moving hastily on , he gained his own apartment , and summoning one of the domestics , directed that his own frugal meal -LRB- the first he had tasted that day -RRB- should be brought up . But even for this he had no appetite , and he had recourse once more to the stimulant for assistance . As the night drew on he grew more nervous and agitated , yet without at all wavering in his purpose . At length ten o'clock struck . It was the hour at which he had promised to issue forth to join Matilda in the path , there to await the passage of his victim to his home . He cautiously descended the staircase , and in the confusion that reigned among the household , all of whom were too much occupied with the entertainment within to heed the movements of individuals , succeeded in gaining the street without notice . The room in which the dinner was given was on the ground floor , and looked through numerous low windows into the street , through which Gerald must necessarily pass to reach the place of his appointment .