three
o'clock
Now I think we had better turn in ; perhaps I shall feel better after a good sleep ; I am certainly far from easy in mind . '' Desmond slept like a top on his light mattress , enveloped in his mosquito curtains . In the morning he accompanied Mr. Merriman to his daftarkhanah -LCB- office -RCB- , where he found a large staff under the superintendence of the muhri -LCB- chief clerk -RCB- , Surendra Nath 's father . He returned to the house for tiffin , spent the afternoon indoors over his novel , and after the three o'clock dinner accompanied his host in a walk through the English quarter . As they returned , Mr. Merriman suggested that they should walk down to Mr. Watts ' house near the river to see if any news had arrived from Cossimbazar . On the way they passed a large pakka -LCB- substantial -RCB- house , surrounded by a compound and a low wall . `` We were talking yesterday about spies , '' said Merriman .