five o'clock
`` I will be very , very glad . Your amiable Emilie . '' Kuzma Vassilyevitch was inwardly surprised at the accomplishments of his charmer , gave the Jew boy a copper coin and told him to say , `` Very well , I will come . '' Kuzma Vassilyevitch kept his word : five o'clock had not struck when he was standing before Madame Fritsche 's gate . But to his surprise he did not find Emilie at home ; he was met by the lady of the house herself who -- wonder of wonders ! -- dropping a preliminary curtsey , informed him that Emilie had been obliged by unforeseen circumstances to go out but she would soon be back and begged him to wait . Madame Fritsche had on a neat white cap ; she smiled , spoke in an ingratiating voice and evidently tried to give an affable expression to her morose countenance , which was , however , none the more prepossessing for that , but on the contrary acquired a positively sinister aspect .