nine o’clock
`` No , he is looking for one . He has his meals out and the portress keeps the house as best she can . The woman is devoted to us ... '' Prasville persisted in his investigations for nearly an hour and a half , shifting and fingering all the knick-knacks , but taking care to put everything back exactly where he found it . At nine o'clock , however , the two detectives who had followed Daubrecq burst into the study : `` He 's coming back ! '' `` On foot ? '' `` Yes . '' `` Have we time ? ''