six o'clock
It may have been chance and it may have been providence ; but whichever it was it saved him . He could not face that semblance of his haunting thought ; and turning away he cowered down on the neighbouring curbstone , where he sat for several minutes , with his head buried in his hands ; when he arose again he was his own daring and sinister self . Knowing that he was now too much master of his faculties to ignore me any longer , I walked quickly away and left him . I knew where he would be at six o'clock and had already engaged a table at the same restaurant . It was seven , however , before he put in an appearance , and by this time he was looking more composed . There was a reckless air about him , however , which was perhaps only noticeable to me ; for none of the habitués of this especial restaurant were entirely without it ; wild eyes and unkempt hair being in the majority . I let him eat .