Nine o'clock
He had been arranging for Cowperwood 's appearance on the following Thursday , Friday , and Monday in his several court proceedings . When he was gone , however , and the night fell and Cowperwood had to trim his little , shabby oil-lamp and to drink the strong tea and eat the rough , poor bread made of bran and white flour , which was shoved to him through the small aperture in the door by the trencher trusty , who was accompanied by the overseer to see that it was done properly , he really felt very badly . And after that the center wooden door of his cell was presently closed and locked by a trusty who slammed it rudely and said no word . Nine o'clock would be sounded somewhere by a great bell , he understood , when his smoky oil-lamp would have to be put out promptly and he would have to undress and go to bed . There were punishments , no doubt , for infractions of these rules -- reduced rations , the strait-jacket , perhaps stripes -- he scarcely knew what . He felt disconsolate , grim , weary . He had put up such a long , unsatisfactory fight .