one
o'clock in the morning
All at once he bethought himself of the cave whence she had emerged . It was close at hand -- a natural grotto , arched and apparently lofty . He resolved to explore it . Glancing at his watch he saw it was not yet one o'clock in the morning , yet the voice of the cuckoo called shrilly from the neighboring hills , and a circling group of swallows flitted around him , their lovely wings glistening like jewels in the warm light of the ever-wakeful sun . Going to the entrance of the cave , he looked in . It was formed of rough rock , hewn out by the silent work of the water , and its floor was strewn thick with loose pebbles and polished stones . Entering it , he was able to walk upright for some few paces , then suddenly it seemed to shrink in size and to become darker .