a few
minutes before noon
And he strode away ruffling , as if he had done something generous . It was a desperate stroke to re-enter at the point of the bayonet into his self-esteem ; and , like all such , it was fruitless in the end . He got to bed with the devil , it appeared : kicked and tumbled till the grey of the morning ; and then fell inopportunely into a leaden slumber , and awoke to find it ten . To miss the appointment with old Killian after all had been too tragic a miscarriage : and he hurried with all his might , found the groom -LRB- for a wonder -RRB- faithful to his trust , and arrived only a few minutes before noon in the guest-chamber of the `` Morning Star . '' Killian was there in his Sunday 's best and looking very gaunt and rigid ; a lawyer from Brandenau stood sentinel over his outspread papers ; and the groom and the landlord of the inn were called to serve as witnesses . The obvious deference of that great man , the innkeeper , plainly affected the old farmer with surprise ; but it was not until Otto had taken the pen and signed that the truth flashed upon him fully . Then , indeed , he was beside himself .