four o'clock in the afternoon
Isidore Beautrelet appeared nonplussed : `` I , mademoiselle ? I ? You saw me yesterday ? '' Raymonde remained thoughtful , with her eyes upon Beautrelet , as though she were trying to settle her own conviction , and then said , in a steady voice : `` At four o'clock in the afternoon , as I was crossing the wood , I met in the sunk road a young man of monsieur 's height , dressed like him and wearing a beard cut in the same way -- and I received a very clear impression that he was trying to hide . '' `` And it was I ? '' `` I could not say that as an absolute certainty , for my recollection is a little vague . Still -- still , I think so -- if not , it would be an unusual resemblance -- '' M. Filleul was perplexed .