midnight
Decidedly , it was better not to risk a quarrel with her , to be patient , to wait for her return . He spent his days in poring over a map of the forest of Compiègne , as though it had been that of the ` Pays du Tendre ' ; he surrounded himself with photographs of the Château of Pierrefonds . When the day dawned on which it was possible that she might return , he opened the time-table again , calculated what train she must have taken , and , should she have postponed her departure , what trains were still left for her to take . He did not leave the house , for fear of missing a telegram , he did not go to bed , in case , having come by the last train , she decided to surprise him with a midnight visit . Yes ! The front-door bell rang . There seemed some delay in opening the door , he wanted to awaken the porter , he leaned out of the window to shout to Odette , if it was Odette , for in spite of the orders which he had gone downstairs a dozen times to deliver in person , they were quite capable of telling her that he was not at home .