five
o'clock
He answered me that M. de Canaples was not in the château . It was believed that he had gone with M. Louis , the intendant of the estates , to visit the vineyards at Montcroix . The news made me choke with impatience . Already it was close upon five o'clock , and in another hour the sun would set and the Angelus would toll the knell of Mademoiselle 's preposterous suspicions , unless in the meantime I had speech with Canaples , and led him to employ a father 's authority to keep his daughter indoors . Fuming at the contretemps I called for my horse and set out at a brisk trot for Montcroix . But my ride was fruitless . The vineyard peasants had not seen the Chevalier for over a week .