four o'clock
The effect of all this was most uncanny . It was as if Raffles Holmes himself spoke to me from the depths of that dark room in the Blank household , where he was engaged in an enterprise of dreadful risk merely to save the good name of one who no longer deserved to bear such a thing . In spite of all this , however , as the hours passed I began to grow more and more nervous . The talking-machine sang and chattered , but when four o'clock came and Holmes had not yet returned , I became almost frenzied with excitement -- and then at the climax of the tension came the flash of his dark-lantern on the fire-escape , and he climbed heavily into the room . `` Thank Heaven you 're back , '' I cried . `` You have reason to , '' said Holmes , sinking into a chair . `` Give me some whiskey .