eleven at night
If he withdrew them for a moment , it was only to glance at a clock in some neighbouring shop , and then to strain his sight once more in the old quarter with increased earnestness and attention . It had been remarked that this personage evinced no weariness in his place of concealment ; nor did he , long as his waiting was . But as the time went on , he manifested some anxiety and surprise , glancing at the clock more frequently and at the window less hopefully than before . At length , the clock was hidden from his sight by some envious shutters , then the church steeples proclaimed eleven at night , then the quarter past , and then the conviction seemed to obtrude itself on his mind that it was no use tarrying there any longer . That the conviction was an unwelcome one , and that he was by no means willing to yield to it , was apparent from his reluctance to quit the spot ; from the tardy steps with which he often left it , still looking over his shoulder at the same window ; and from the precipitation with which he as often returned , when a fancied noise or the changing and imperfect light induced him to suppose it had been softly raised . At length , he gave the matter up , as hopeless for that night , and suddenly breaking into a run as though to force himself away , scampered off at his utmost speed , nor once ventured to look behind him lest he should be tempted back again . Without relaxing his pace , or stopping to take breath , this mysterious individual dashed on through a great many alleys and narrow ways until he at length arrived in a square paved court , when he subsided into a walk , and making for a small house from the window of which a light was shining , lifted the latch of the door and passed in .