nearly ten o'clock
He sought for reasons why these two crimes should lead to nothing . Common-sense , public opinion , the prudence of governments , the repeated assurances of the socialists , Jaurès ' firm stand ; -- Maxime let him talk , he was thinking of other things , -- like his dog with his ears pricked up for the sounds of the night ... Such a pure lovely night ! Those who recall the last evenings of July , 1914 , and the even more beautiful evening of the first day of August , must keep in their minds the wonderful splendour of Nature , as with a smile of pity she stretched out her arms to the degraded , self-devouring human race . It was nearly ten o'clock when Clerambault ceased to talk , for no one had answered him . They sat then in silence with heavy hearts , listlessly occupied or seeming to be , the women with their work , Clerambault with his eyes , but not his mind , on a book . Maxime went out on the porch and smoked , leaning on the railing and looking down on the sleeping garden and the fairy-like play of the light and shadows on the path . The telephone bell made them start .