Midnight
He was almost in despair , when in his wanderings his attention was caught by a dormer window on the canal side , about two-thirds of the way down the slope of the roof . With infinite precaution he lowered himself down the steep , slippery incline until he was astride of the little dormer roof . Leaning well forward , he discovered that a slender grating barred the leaded panes of the window itself , and for a moment this grating gave him pause . Midnight boomed just then from the Church of Saint Mark , like a reminder that but seven hours remained in which to conquer this and further difficulties that might confront him , and in which to win clear of that place , or else submit to a resumption of his imprisonment under conditions , no doubt , a hundredfold more rigorous . Lying flat on his stomach , and hanging far over , so as to see what he was doing , he worked one point of his spontoon into the sash of the grating , and , levering outwards , he strained until at last it came away completely in his hands . After that it was an easy matter to shatter the little latticed window . Having accomplished so much , he turned , and , using his spontoon as before , he crawled back to the summit of the roof , and made his way rapidly along this to the spot where he had left Balbi .