Seven o'clock
To love , to belong to one another , to create and continue life -- was not that the one sole object of nature outside of all social and religious policies ? For a moment he was conscious of the abyss before him : his chastity was his last prop , the very dignity of his spoilt life ; and he realised that , if after yielding to his reason he also yielded to his flesh , he would be utterly lost . All his pride of purity , all his strength which he had placed in professional rectitude , thereupon returned to him , and he again vowed that he would never be a man , since he had voluntarily cut himself off from among men . Seven o'clock was striking , and Pierre did not go back to bed , but began to wash himself , thoroughly enjoying the cool water , which ended by calming his fever . As he finished dressing , the anxious thought of M. de Guersaint recurred to him on hearing a sound of footsteps in the passage . These steps stopped outside his room and someone knocked . With a feeling of relief he went to open the door , but on doing so exclaimed in great surprise `` What , it 's you !