six o’clock
Their corners were upheld by towers like those which lovers of antiquities remark in towns where the hammer of the iconoclast has not yet prevailed . The bays , which had little depth , gave a great power of resistance to the iron shutters of the windows and doors . The riots and the civil wars so frequent in those tumultuous times were ample justification for these precautions . As six o'clock was striking from the great tower of the Abbey Saint-Martin , the lover of the hapless countess passed in front of the hotel de Poitiers and paused for a moment to listen to the sounds made in the lower hall by the servants of the count , who were supping . Casting a glance at the window of the room where he supposed his love to be , he continued his way to the adjoining house . All along his way , the young man had heard the joyous uproar of many feasts given throughout the town in honor of the day . The ill-joined shutters sent out streaks of light , the chimneys smoked , and the comforting odor of roasted meats pervaded the town .