noon
The stranger replied : `` You 're not the innkeeper I did business with a few minutes ago , and he 's the rascal I want to see . I want to know what the devil 's been done with my coach , and what 's happened to my secretary and my servants . '' I tried to tell him that I knew nothing of what he was talking about , but he would not listen , and gave me the lie , saying that he had been drugged and robbed , and his people kidnaped . He even had the impudence to claim that he and his secretary had been sitting at a table in that room , drinking wine , not fifteen minutes before , when there had been four noncommissioned officers of the Third Uhlans at that table since noon . Everybody in the room spoke up for me , but he would not listen , and was shouting that we were all robbers , and kidnapers , and French spies , and I do n't know what all , when the police came . Your honor , the man is mad . What I have told you about this is the truth , and all that I know about this business , so help me God .