about six in
the morning
Favoured by darkness , we loosened the knot , and , taking to the oars , crossed the river without being perceived by a soul . Once on the opposite bank we made the boat fast to some piles of wood near the water 's edge , and leaving a piece of silver for the boatman , which I trust he found , we took the road to the Abbey of St. Germain . Near here we found a retreat in the scaffolding of a house that was being repaired . There we stayed until it was light , and about six in the morning arrived at the inn , as though we were early travellers who had entered Paris on the opening of the Porte St. Germain . In this manner , favoured by luck , and by the exercise of caution , I bade farewell to the Rue de Lavandières , and gave Camus the slip , without leaving any trace behind me . The Chapeau Rouge was an inn mostly frequented by students , and in my younger days I knew it well , though , to be sure , more than a dozen years had passed since I last entered it . It was surrounded by a large garden , enclosed by a high wall , and I could have chosen no better place for my purpose , which was to lie close during the day , and , as soon as horses were procured , to depart at dusk , about the hour of the shutting of the gates .