About eight o'clock
`` He had been out all day , and when he returned in the evening he said it was of no use serving dinner , for he was suffering such agonies from neuralgia that he could not eat anything . He had called at the doctor 's on his way , but he was not at home . `` He asked me to bring him a cup of strong coffee , which I did . `` About eight o'clock I went in to the study to light the gas , and when I opened the door there was a strong smell of some apothecary 's stuff , '' -LRB- here the man became visibly affected -RRB- , `` and something in that and the way my master was lying on the sofa attracted my attention . I spoke to him , but he did not answer me . I lifted his arm which was hanging over on the carpet , but it fell again when I let it go . `` Then I ran out of the house for a doctor .