two o'clock
When natures such as hers lose their self-reliance , life becomes as unsubstantial as an opium dream . If they can not count upon themselves , what then may they count upon ? She jumped out of bed , and went to the window , where she stood for a while in the cold starlight , letting the wind blow in across her feverish face . She wrapped blankets around her , and sat listening to the sounds of the sleeping country ; an owl mournfully hooting , a premature cock crowing lustily , the drowsy whickering of horses stirring in their stalls ; for it was two o'clock , and the countryside was beginning to dream of day . She stayed for a long while brooding over the land she loved , as over a sleeping child . Always the great out-of-doors had its balm for her ... . Suddenly she sat erect .