nine o'clock
The sanitars with the wagons that arrived at about four o'clock in the afternoon told us that a violent attack in the intermediate neighbourhood of our white house was expected at any moment . The wagons were to return as quickly as possible , and bring every one away . They left about five o'clock in charge of Molozov and Goga , who were bursting with excitement . I knew that they could not be with us again until at any rate nine o'clock , but I was so nervous that at about seven I walked out to the cross and watched . It was a very dark night , but the sky was simply on fire with searchlights and rockets , very fine behind the Forest and reflected in the river . The cannonade was incessant but one could not tell how close it was . At last , at about half-past eight , I could endure my ignorance no longer and I went down the hill towards the bridge .