nearly nine o'clock
Mole watched him in silence for a moment or two , then he turned on his heel and shuffled off through the ante-room into the kitchen beyond , where presently he sat down , squatting in an angle by the stove , and started with his usual stolidness to chop wood for the citizeness ' fire . When this task was done , and he had received a chunk of sour bread for his reward from Jeannette Marechal , the cook , he shuffled out of the place and into the street , to do his employer 's errands . Paul Mole had been to the offices of the Moniteur and to the printing works of L'Ami du Peuple . He had seen the citizen Dufour at the Club and , presumably , had spent the rest of his time wandering idly about the streets of the quartier , for he did not return to the Rue des Cordeliers until nearly nine o'clock . As soon as he came to the top of the street , he fell in with the crowd which had collected outside No. 30 . With his habitual slouchy gait and the steady pressure of his powerful elbows , he pushed his way to the door , whilst gleaning whisperings and rumours on his way . `` The citizen Marat has been assassinated . ''