noon
`` A quick-witted girl , '' muttered Aurelius , `` and now for my part . If the gods please , they will escape , and we shall be happy again . If not -- then we will never return to this house . '' It took him until noon to examine the papers in his strong-box . Three of the documents he placed in his toga . The others , he burned . It was a long and difficult matter to bring the Lady Claudia , in her weakness , to the place agreed upon .