three o'clock in the morning
`` It is a lie ! Mme. de Bargeton is innocent , '' cried Lucien . `` I heard about the duel from a countryman , who saw it all from his cart . M. de Negrepelisse came over at three o'clock in the morning to be M. de Bargeton 's second ; he told M. de Chandour that if anything happened to his son-in-law , he should avenge him . A cavalry officer lent the pistols . M. de Negrepelisse tried them over and over again . M. du Chatelet tried to prevent them from practising with the pistols , but they referred the question to the officer ; and he said that , unless they meant to behave like children , they ought to have pistols in working order .