nine o'clock
I never saw her more . `` As she had mentioned her husband 's name in the faith that I knew it , I added no mention of it to my letter . I sealed my letter , and , not trusting it out of my own hands , delivered it myself that day . `` That night , the last night of the year , towards nine o'clock , a man in a black dress rang at my gate , demanded to see me , and softly followed my servant , Ernest Defarge , a youth , up-stairs . When my servant came into the room where I sat with my wife -- O my wife , beloved of my heart ! My fair young English wife ! -- we saw the man , who was supposed to be at the gate , standing silent behind him .