ten in the morning
The Marquis eagerly read the packet through , digested its contents , blessed his ally Panet for his professional methodicality , and placed the papers in order in the Record . After the flight of more than a century , this Record , yellow and faded and a little worm-eaten , but complete even to its wax seals , its wire-headed pins , and the thin gilt edges of the correspondence paper , lies before the writer of these pages , a vivid fragment of the old _ régime _ , a witness to the hatred , the activity , the very thoughts , as it were , of the enemies of Lecour , and revealing his perils from their inner side . On the very day after the Panet documents were added to the Record a visitor called upon the Marquis . `` The 25th of January , '' records the latter in his journal , `` there entered my apartments , about half-past ten in the morning , a young man , wearing a sword and a hat with a white plume , his suit entirely of black knitcloth with trimmings to match , of middle height , firmly built and well-looking , skin fine with plenty of colour , eye nearly black , soft and somewhat large , surmounted by a black eyebrow . '' `` My name is Monsieur de la Louvière , Gendarme of the Guard , '' he said . `` I come on the part of the Chevalier de Bailleul respecting the matter of Monsieur LeCour . '' `` Be seated , sir , '' replied the Marquis with interest , indicating a chair near his writing-desk , at which he himself sat down .