the hour
of two
An unnatural luster , partly the reflection of his somber eyes and partly from the tawny hue of his saturnine visage , added an inexpressible degree of malignant rancor to his expression . His hands , which he was compelled by the manacles to hold directly in front of him in an absurd travesty of penitential clasp , gripped each other in his consuming resentment until the tendons of his wrist stood out with the tense distinction of whipcords . While Robert was engaged in restoring the coins to the bag , the only sound came from the derisive click and fall of the gold-pieces as they chinked their mockery into the ears of the raging prisoner . As the last coin joined its fellows a neighboring clock chimed the hour of two . `` Good ! '' exclaimed Gratz ; `` there is time to settle this business before morning '' ; and turning to the Sepoy he added : `` I will trouble you to precede me to your room . '' There was something unreal in the silence which the Sepoy still maintained and the enforced apathy with which he proceeded to obey these instructions , and Robert , unaccustomed to such episodes as this , in which he was a contributing factor , was more affected than if he had witnessed some violent demonstration or listened to a raging vituperation .