nearly twelve
o'clock
AUTHOR . ELSIE ALWAYS HAD HER PORRIDGE upstairs . -RSB- A terrible thought had come into Robert 's head . It was nearly twelve o'clock . The house-party was retiring to bed . He heard the `` Good-nights '' wafted through the open window ; the lights went out , to reappear upstairs . Presently they too went out , and Robert was alone with the darkened house .