nine o'clock
It was only necessary to stay where he was . Among all the confused feelings which had been agitating him he now merely felt a dull need of certain knowledge . But sheer weariness and vacancy began lulling him to sleep under his doorway , and by way of distraction he tried to reckon up how long he would have to wait . Sabine was to be at the station toward nine o'clock ; that meant about four hours and a half more . He was very patient ; he would even have been content not to move again , and he found a certain charm in fancying that his night vigil would last through eternity . Suddenly the streak of light was gone . This extremely simple event was to him an unforeseen catastrophe , at once troublesome and disagreeable .