four o'clock in the afternoon
She took my hand and led me to my couch beside the window and then bent over me . `` Sleep , sleep long . For now the time is near and thou must have strength . '' I slept well on towards four o'clock in the afternoon , and when I awakened I found the house deserted by all but my man Tepi , who was seated cross-legged near me with a cup containing my fever mixture beside him . He held it up to me silently . Even before I raised myself to drink I felt that I was a stronger man , physically and mentally , than I had been six hours previously , and my veins no longer seemed as if they were filled with liquid fire . I drank the mixture and then looked about me , and saw that every ensanguined trace of the tragedy which had occurred a few hours before had been removed .