eleven o'clock
`` Frenchmen are the very devil , '' he muttered , trying in vain to find a hat which would fit him . They _ are _ the champagne of the earth , they are clear , strong , and sparkling . In vain did Benedict entreat him for five minutes in which to write his announcement . `` You must let me have it before eleven o'clock , '' cried Bodemeyer , as , having discovered his own hat and cane he fled as if the enemy were behind him . Next morning the following announcement might have been read in the `` Hanoverian Gazette '' . `` On June 7th , 1866 , in Unter den Linden at Berlin I had occasion to both give and receive several blows in an encounter with various excellent citizens who wished to tear me to pieces because I had publicly emptied my glass to the glory of France . I have not the honour of knowing who gave these blows , but , wishing to be known by those who received mine , I hereby announce that during the next eight days I may be found at the Hôtel Royal , Hanover , by any one wishing to criticize either my words or actions on the said occasion , and I particularly hope that the author of a certain article referring to me in yesterday 's issue of the ` Kreuz Zeitung , ' will accept this invitation .