four o'clock in the morning
`` Jean Daval was killed by -- '' Beautrelet interrupted himself , thought for a moment and continued : `` But I must first show you the road which I followed to arrive at the certainty and the very reasons of the murder -- without which my accusation would seem monstrous to you . -- And it is not -- no , it is not monstrous at all . -- There is one detail which has passed unobserved and which , nevertheless , is of the greatest importance ; and that is that Jean Daval , at the moment when he was stabbed , had all his clothes on , including his walking boots , was dressed , in short , as a man is dressed in the middle of the day , with a waistcoat , collar , tie and braces . Now the crime was committed at four o'clock in the morning . '' `` I reflected on that strange fact , '' said the magistrate , `` and M. de Gesvres replied that Jean Daval spent a part of his nights in working . '' `` The servants say , on the contrary , that he went to bed regularly at a very early hour . But , admitting that he was up , why did he disarrange his bedclothes , to make believe that he had gone to bed ?