four
o’clock
From the Germanic chaos emerged North Germany , the seed of which was Brandenberg , later on developing into Prussia , and finally the German Empire , which received the imperial crown at Versailles , but not from the hands of Rome . On the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland lay the little village Strelna , halfway between Petersburg and the half-completed Peterhof . At the end of the village , on the edge of the Strelka stream , stood a simple country-house under oaks and pines . It was painted green and red , and the window-shutters were still fastened , for it was only four o'clock on a summer morning . The Gulf of Finland lay smooth under the rays of the rising sun . A Dutch trading vessel , which had wished to enter the harbour and reach the Admiralty House , now furled its sails and dropped anchor . It carried a flag at its main-top which hung down idly .