ten o'clock
Greusel , will you act as secretary and treasurer ? Scrutinize the landlord 's bill with a generous eye , and pay him the amount we owe . If anything is left , we will divide it equally , '' and with that he waved his hand to them , departing amidst a round of cheers , for the active youths were tired of idleness . Punctuality is the politeness of kings , and as the bells of Frankfort were ringing ten o'clock , Roland knocked at the door of the merchant 's house in the Fahrgasse . It was promptly opened by the ancient porter , who , after securing it again , conducted the young man up the solid stairway to the office-room on the first floor . Ushered in , the Prince found the merchant seated in his usual chair , as if he had never moved from the spot where Roland had left him at noon that day . Half a dozen candles shed their soft radiance over the table , and on one corner of it , close by Herr Goebel 's right elbow , the visitor saw a well-filled doeskin bag which he fancied might contain the thousand thalers .