"You're a good fellow, Archibald, and I thank you. But do you think that it's by chance that we're here on the 31st of July at four minutes to five?"
She went towards the steps, mounted them, crossed the hall, and entered the room.
Two cries greeted her appearance on the scene. Raoul started up, very pale, the Countess de Chagny ran to her.
She stopped them with a gesture.
In front of the table, Voirin, supported by two friends whom he had brought as witnesses, his papers and deeds spread out before him, held his watch in his hand.
"Five o'clock!" he cried in a tone of victory.
She corrected him:
"Five o'clock by your watch, perhaps. But look at the clock. We have still three minutes."
"And what of it?" said the money-lender.
"Well, three minutes are more than we need to pay this little bill and clear you out of the house."