four o'clock
He was in evening dress , and wore a monocle ; his manner was frigid and rather pretentious . The distressed father , whose knees trembled through emotion , sank into an armchair , and , bursting into tears , told of the loss of his boy -- told the story stammeringly and with many breaks , for his voice was choked by sobs . The Prefect , who was also father of a family , was inwardly moved at the sight of his visitor 's grief , but he repressed his emotion and assumed a cold and self-important air . `` You say , sir , that your child has been missing since four o'clock ? '' `` Yes . '' `` Just when night was falling , confound it . He is n't at all precocious , speaks very little , does n't know where he lives , and ca n't even pronounce his own name ? ''