noon
`` The murdered man was my brother-in-law , Alfred Hartridge , and I am sorry to say he was -- well , he was a bad man . It grieves me to speak of him thus -- _ de mortuis _ , you know -- but , still , we must deal with the facts , even though they be painful . '' `` Undoubtedly , '' agreed Thorndyke . `` I have had a great deal of very unpleasant correspondence with him -- Marchmont will tell you about that -- and yesterday I left a note for him , asking for an interview , to settle the business , naming eight o'clock this morning as the hour , because I had to leave town before noon . He replied , in a very singular letter , that he would see me at that hour , and Mr. Marchmont very kindly consented to accompany me . Accordingly , we went to his chambers together this morning , arriving punctually at eight o'clock . We rang the bell several times , and knocked loudly at the door , but as there was no response , we went down and spoke to the hall-porter .