six
o'clock before
To be precise , it was on Monday , the fourteenth day of July , that the climax came . Max had left me soon after lunch to ride in the Park with the Princess Ottilie . I was on duty that afternoon , so was unable , even had I desired to do so , to accompany them . Indeed , it was after six o'clock before I returned to my house , where I expected to find Max awaiting me . To my surprise , however , he was not there . `` Has not the Crown Prince returned ? '' I inquired of Felix , my imperturbable groom of the chambers .