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As Quenu took off his shoes, and put them down in a corner, the time-piece struck half past one with such a clear, ringing sound that he turned in alarm, almost frightened to move, and gazing with an expression of angry reproach at the shining gilded Gutenberg standing there, with his finger on a book.
About all the two watch-trading Americans knew of French was "Oui! Oui!" and they used this every minute. The American soldiers had a four-dollar Ingersoll watch, and this illuminated time-piece had caught the eye of the French soldier. He, in turn, had an expensive, jewelled, Swiss-movement pocket-watch. The American knew its value and wanted it. They stood and argued.
The intervals for a word to pass between them were long, and the ticking of the time-piece fronting the death-bed ruled the chamber, scarcely varied. The lamp was raised for the final look, the leave-taking. Dacier buried his face, thinking many things the common multitude in insurrection. 'A servant should be told to come now, she said. 'I have only to put on my bonnet and I am ready.
"Quite sufficient," replied the count, as, taking out his tablets, he wrote down "No. 27, Rue du Helder, 21st May, half-past ten in the morning." "Now then," said the count, returning his tablets to his pocket, "make yourself perfectly easy; the hand of your time-piece will not be more accurate in marking the time than myself." "Shall I see you again ere my departure?" asked Albert.
At the moment when the hand of the massive time-piece, representing Endymion asleep, pointed to nine on its golden face, and the hammer, the faithful type of mechanical thought, struck nine times, the name of the Count of Monte Cristo resounded in its turn, and as if by an electric shock all the assembly turned towards the door.
Now I could not help thinking that if there had really been a Providence it would have put hands to the Moon a big and a little and made it the chronometer of the world nay, of the cosmos the universal time-piece, to which all eyes, in every place and planet, could be raised for information; by which all clocks could be set moon time an infallible monitor and measurer of the flight of the hours; divinely right, not to be argued with; though I warrant there be some would still swear by their watches.
However, we chatted away over old times and old friends, and forgetting all else but the topics we talked of, the time-piece over the chimney first apprised me that two whole hours had gone by, and that it was now seven o'clock, the very hour the coach was to start.
"What time is it in Boston?" inquired the president, rising and going to the writing-table. "Twenty-eight minutes past seven," said Y, producing an enormous three- dial time-piece, set to indicate simultaneously the time of day in London, Boston, and Washington. "All right, there is plenty of time," answered X, writing out a dispatch on a broad white sheet of cable office paper.
"Oh, dear me! Is that a conundrum?" asked Nan, with but faint interest. "Wake up!" and Bess pinched her. "I never knew you so stupid before. See my watch, Nan," and she held the small gold time-piece she had owned since her last birthday, so that her chum could see its face. "A quarter to eight," read Nan from the dial. "Well! that's not so late.
When I awoke it would be six in the morning; and, in this belief, I regulated my watch to that hour. So convinced was I of these facts, that I felt confident I could have counted the days without the watch; but fearing that some change might occur in my habitual hours of rest, in consequence of the altered circumstances in which I was placed, I resolved always to keep the time-piece going.
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