about three o'clock in the afternoon
It was strange that , after all , I , who had seemed to fail so hopelessly in my enterprise , should at last bring this giant in crime to justice . For , if he had not burdened himself with me , he would then have left in the tender , and , once on the nameless ship , would have defied the world . But now they watched him ; and from the solitude of my imprisonment I seemed to be lifted in a moment to a joyous state of expectation and excitement . It was then about three o'clock in the afternoon . I heard the hour from a neighbouring church ; and I recalled the detective 's words , `` I have telegraphed for your friend , Roderick . '' If his anticipations were correct , I should see the one man I had the greatest love for within an hour . Yet , on recollection , I would have had it otherwise .