about four o'clock
The whip would have purchased her secret readily enough , then the others could have been arrested also and Gessner left reassured beyond question . Sergius blamed himself very much that he had permitted a finer chivalry to guide his acts . `` I came because this young man persuaded me to come , '' he admitted , and added the thought that he had been a fool for his pains . This would have been about four o'clock of the morning . He slept a little while upon it , but woke again at five and sat up in bed to mark a step on the landing without and to ask himself who had the right to be there at such an hour . When he had waited a little while , he came to the conclusion that two people were approaching his door and making little secret of their coming . Presently a knock informed him that he had nothing whatever to fear ; and upon asking the question `` What do you want ? ''