ten o'clock
The thought of returning home to his solitary bed simply wrung his heart with anguish . Every time that golden-haired girls and men in dirty linen came out and stared at him he returned to his post in front of the reading room , where , looking in between two advertisements posted on a windowpane , he was always greeted by the same sight . It was a little old man , sitting stiff and solitary at the vast table and holding a green newspaper in his green hands under the green light of one of the lamps . But shortly before ten o'clock another gentleman , a tall , good-looking , fair man with well-fitting gloves , was also walking up and down in front of the stage door . Thereupon at each successive turn the pair treated each other to a suspicious sidelong glance . The count walked to the corner of the two galleries , which was adorned with a high mirror , and when he saw himself therein , looking grave and elegant , he was both ashamed and nervous . Ten o'clock struck , and suddenly it occurred to Muffat that it would be very easy to find out whether Nana were in her dressing room or not .