one o’clock in the morning
But , a little above Nevers , her train had come upon a goods train which had run off the rails , its litter of smashed trucks still obstructing the line . There was quite a series of mishaps and delays . First an interminable wait in the carriages , which the passengers had to quit at last , luggage and all , in order to trudge to the next station , three kilometres distant , where the authorities had decided to make up another train . By this time they had lost two hours , and then another two were lost in the general confusion which the accident had caused from one end of the line to the other , in such wise that they reached the Paris terminus four hours behind time , that is , at one o'clock in the morning . ` Bad luck , indeed , ' interrupted Claude , who was still sceptical , though half disarmed , in his surprise at the neat way in which the girl arranged the details of her story . ` And , of course , there was no one at the station to meet you ? ' he added .