about five o'clock
The Leloir stagecoach had just left ; the Lecomte berlins would not be starting ; the diligence from Bourbonnais would not be passing till a late hour that night , and perhaps it might be full , one could never tell . When he had lost a great deal of time in making enquiries about the various modes of conveyance , the idea occurred to him to travel post . The master of the post-house refused to supply him with horses , as Frederick had no passport . Finally , he hired an open carriage -- the same one in which they had driven about the country -- and at about five o'clock they arrived in front of the Hôtel du Commerce at Melun . The market-place was covered with piles of arms . The prefect had forbidden the National Guards to proceed towards Paris . Those who did not belong to his department wished to go on .