twenty-three minutes past twelve
Then , still busy with the subject of the Diamond , he began to talk again -- not to me , but to himself . That change told me that the first stage in the experiment was reached . The stimulant influence of the opium had got him . The time , now , was twenty-three minutes past twelve . The next half hour , at most , would decide the question of whether he would , or would not , get up from his bed , and leave the room . In the breathless interest of watching him -- in the unutterable triumph of seeing the first result of the experiment declare itself in the manner , and nearly at the time , which I had anticipated -- I had utterly forgotten the two companions of my night vigil . Looking towards them now , I saw the Law -LRB- as represented by Mr. Bruff 's papers -RRB- lying unheeded on the floor .