five o'clock
And when it remained silent for a night , some trifling noise in the road would simulate its jangle in his dreams . `` It 's a wonder I have any nerves left , '' he grumbled , as the hot , red dawns crept in at the sides of the bedroom-window . For the shortening of his sleep at one end did not mean that he could make it up at the other . All that summer he had fallen into the habit of waking at five o'clock , and not being able to doze off again . The narrowest bar of light on the ceiling , the earliest twitter of the sparrows was enough to strike him into full consciousness ; and Mary was hard put to it to darken the room and ensure silence ; and would be till the day came when he could knock off work and take a thorough holiday . This he promised himself to do , before he was very much older . Mary sat with pencil and paper and wrinkled her brows .