eight o'clock
When he returned home , after posting his letters , it was long past one o'clock . He went to bed immediately , and slept heavily , without waking or dreaming . It was broad daylight when he opened his eyes the next morning . Surprised at having slept so late , he jumped up and looked at his watch , which said eight o'clock . But as he should not leave until a quarter past eleven , he had plenty of time . How should he employ it ? It was the first time in years that he had asked himself such a question ; he , who each day always found that he needed three or four hours more to carry out his programme .