noon
For a couple of miles they rode steadily along under the unceasing rain and in the teeth of that bleak February wind . Then at a cross-road La Boulaye unexpectedly called a halt . `` My friends , '' he said to his escort , `` we have yet a little business to discharge in Belgium before we cross the frontier . '' With that he announced his intention of going North , and so briskly did he cause them to ride , that by noon -- a short three hours after quitting Boisvert -- they had covered a distance of twenty-five miles , and brought up their steaming horses before the Hotel de Flandres at Leuze . At this , the only post-house in the place , La Boulaye made inquiries as to whether any carriage had arrived from Soignies that morning , to receive a negative answer . This nowise surprised him , for he hardly thought that Mademoiselle could have had time to come so far . She must , however , be drawing nearer , and he determined to ride on to meet her .