about midday
Truly , Damon , there comes to every one of us , sooner or later , a time when we say of life as Christopher Sly said of the comedy -- `` Tis an excellent piece of work . Would ` twere done ! ' '' It was after receiving the last of these letters that I hazarded a third visit to Madame de Courcelles . This time , I ventured to present myself at her door about midday , and was at once ushered upstairs into a drawing-room looking out on the Rue Castellane . Seeing her open work-table , with the empty chair and footstool beside it , I thought at the first glance that I was alone in the room , when a muttered `` Sacr-r-r-re ! Down , Bijou ! '' made me aware of a gentleman extended at full length upon a sofa near the fireplace , and of a vicious-looking Spitz crouched beneath it .