ten o'clock precisely
Sarah had offered in the meanwhile to do all that in her power lay to soften the old man 's heart and to bring about the happy conclusion of the romantic adventure . For the latter we had chosen the night of May 23rd . It was a moonless night , and the Passage Corneille , from whence I was to operate , was most usefully dark . Sarah Goldberg had , according to convention , left the postern gate on the latch , and at ten o'clock precisely I made my way up the cul-de-sac and cautiously turned the handle of the door . I confess that my heart beat somewhat uncomfortably in my bosom . I had left Rochez and his barouche in the Rue des Pipots , about a hundred metres from the angle of the Passage Corneille , and it was along those hundred metres of a not altogether unfrequented street that he expected me presently to carry a possibly screaming and struggling burden in the very teeth of a gendarmerie always on the look-out for exciting captures . No , Sir ; that was not to be !