about
seven o'clock
And lying down he fell asleep , but immediately another dream as horrible as the first appeared , and his housekeeper heard him beating on the walls . `` Only a dream , only a dream , '' he said . He lay awake , not daring to sleep lest he might dream . And it was about seven o'clock when he heard his housekeeper telling him that the inspector had come to tell him they must decide what direction the new road should take . In the inspector 's opinion it should run parallel with the old road . To continue the old road two miles further would involve extra labour ; the people would have to go further to their work , and the stones would have to be drawn further . The priest held that the extra labour was of secondary importance .