half past nine o’clock
Lavilette and his wife were a little anxious ; but Ferrol and Nicolas made excuses for her , and , in the wild talk and gossip about the Rebellion , attention was easily shifted from her . Besides , Christine was well used to taking care of herself . Lavilette flatly refused to give Nic a penny for `` the cause , '' and stormed at his connection with it ; but at last became pacified , and agreed it was best that Madame Lavilette should know nothing about Nic 's complicity just yet . At half past nine o'clock Nic left the house and took the road towards the Seigneury . About half-way between the Seigneury and the main street of the village there was a huge tree , whose limbs stretched across the road and made a sort of archway . In the daytime , during the summer , foot travellers , carts and carriages , with their drivers , loitered in its shade as they passed , grateful for the rest it gave ; but at night , even when it was moonlight , the wide branches threw a dark and heavy shadow , and the passage beneath them was gloomy travel . Many a foot traveller hesitated to pass into that umbrageous circle , and skirted the fence beyond the branches on the further side of the road instead .