the hour of three
They bent closer and strained their eyes at the little second hand ticking away merrily . As the minute hand touched three , from the back of the case , as if from the casing itself , a little needle , perhaps a quarter of an inch , jumped out . It seemed to come from what looked like merely a small inset in the decorations . `` You see what will happen at the hour of three ? '' he asked . No one said a word , as he held up a vial which he had drawn from his pocket . On it they could read the label , `` Ricinus . ''