two hours
after midnight
he said , and struck the spot smartly with his open palm . Instantly the smitten place turned livid , while from the midst of it , like the handwriting on the wall , the fatal letters T. F. sprang out in characters of fire . Lenoir flashed a savage glance upon us , and checked the imprecation that rose to his lips . Monsieur le Préfet , with a little nod of satisfaction , put on his glasses again , went over to the table , took out a printed form from a certain drawer , dipped a pen in the ink , and said : -- `` Sergeant , you will take this order , and convey Number Two Hundred and Seven to the Bicêtre , there to remain till Thursday next , when he will be drafted back to Toulon by the convict train , which leaves two hours after midnight . Monsieur Müller , the Government is indebted to you for the assistance you have rendered the executive in this matter . You are probably aware that the prisoner is a notorious criminal , guilty of one proved murder , and several cases of forgery , card-sharping , and the like . The Government is also indebted to Monsieur Marmot '' -LRB- here he inclined his head to the bald-headed Chef -RRB- , `` who has acted with his usual zeal and intelligence . ''