ten o'clock
He was so kind , so good always . I can not believe that he will never come back , '' and she burst into tears , which her mother , with a word of apology to me , quietly soothed away . When we arose I accompanied them to the drawing-room ; but without any music , and with Mary 's sad , half-tragic countenance before us , the evening was by no means a merry one ; therefore I was glad when , in pursuance of the country habit of retiring early , the maid brought my candle and showed me to my room . It was not yet ten o'clock , and feeling in no mood for sleep , I took from my bag the novel I had been reading on my journey and , throwing myself into an armchair , first gave myself up to deep reflection over a pipe , and afterwards commenced to read . The chiming of the church clock down in the village aroused me , causing me to glance at my watch . It was midnight . I rose , and going to the window , pulled aside the blind , and looked out upon the rural view lying calm and mysterious beneath the brilliant moonlight .