nearly three o'clock
The sky , washed by storm , was bright with stars . But there was not a ripple of movement that he could hear . After that he looked at his watch . He must have been sleeping for some time when the voice roused him , for it was nearly three o'clock . In spite of the stars , dawn was close at hand . When he looked out of the window again they were paler and more distant . He had no intention of going back to bed .