three o’clock
After the arrival of the parish priest , the sick man had not spoken again . Confession had not been possible . Meanwhile the storm had burst with such violence as to render it impossible for the priest to go for the holy oil . They had thought the sick man would live some hours longer , but at three o'clock he had expired . As soon as the torrents of rain would permit , Don Clemente and the priest had gone out , but Giovanni and Maria had remained with the mother until the arrival of the dead man 's elder sister ; the mother seemed to have quite lost her senses . Then they also had left , to go in search of Noemi . Not finding her at the inn , they had started for the church .