nine o'clock
Twenty times they went together to the street door and opened it to find nothing animate before them . Morning came and still no tidings . The earliest trains from the city were visited by servants , for the master of the house was too exhausted to make the journey . And at nine o'clock the gentlemen who had passed the night at Midlands took the railway back to New York , with no solution of the great problem . Mr. Gouger had not been in his office an hour before the door opened and in walked Archie Weil . The critic started from his chair at the unexpected sight , and remarked that he had not expected to see his visitor so early . `` I presume you heard the news and came home at once , '' he added , meaningly .