four o'clock in the morning
An incident of my boyhood . A ridiculous episode which -- I rose with the intention of doing so at once -- I should now proceed to eliminate from my life . I went quickly to my desk , unlocked it , and took out a photograph . And then -- undoubtedly four o'clock in the morning is no time for a man to try to be single-minded and decisive -- I wavered . I had intended to tear the thing in pieces without a glance , and fling it into the wastepaper-basket . But I took the glance and I hesitated . The girl in the photograph was small and slight , and she looked straight out of the picture with large eyes that met and challenged mine .