ten minutes past nine
The maid came back , pruning herself with coquettish graces , to answer that Madame la Baronne would have pleasure in receiving M. Armstrong in five minutes , and , having delivered her message , rustled rapidly upstairs again . She paused at the turning of the stair , and leaned over to say : ` Numéro quinze , the fifth door to the right of monsieur . ' ` Thank you , ' Paul answered , and , turning into the darkened study , struck a light and consulted his watch . It was ten minutes past nine , and he sat still to await the quarter hour . There was a clattering of pots and pans in the distant kitchen , and Annette was still singing and walking in the near apartment An occasional murmur of voices , a click of billiard-balls , and even the faint noise made by the shuffle of a set of dominoes in the café over the road reached his ears , but save for these slight signs of life the world seemed asleep . Annette suddenly ceased to sing in the middle of a bar . He heard her open the door of the salon .