a quarter to twelve
Instead of hobnobbing with the guide , he waited upon him with discretion and assiduity , and Pauline even fancied that towards herself there was a grain more of respect than of admiration in the hotel keeper 's bearing . `` Cast from the pedestal of pride with shocks . '' All through the little supper , made gay by the brilliant dresses of the ladies and the bunches of roses in the middle of the table , a restlessness marked the guide 's manner ; he was clearly anxious to have it over , get rid of Poussette and Miss Cordova , and be alone with Pauline . It was a quarter to twelve when this was arrived at , and Crabbe took the precaution of closing the door securely after the Frenchman , and of seeing that the blind was sufficiently lowered over the one window which looked on the side of the cleared yard nearer the river , but he did not think of looking out of the window . Perhaps if he had he would not have recognized Ringfield in the straight dark shadow that kept walking up and down , up and down , as long as the light shone from that room . When he at last found himself secure and alone , the Englishman 's stoicism , pride , and remorse , all came forth at one bound . He sat down and swept the dishes away from him , reached for Pauline 's hand , and bent his head down over it upon the table , smothering different ejaculations , which , warm and earnest enough , were totally removed from his usual style of impassioned speech -- he uttered nothing profane .