four o'clock in the morning
I do not think I slept a wink that night . My room was suffocating , and I took a pillow , and crawled out on the roof of the kitchen , just under my window , and stretched myself out on the shingles , and winked back at the stars which winked at me , and thought of the bright , flashing eyes of the bewitching unknown . I resolved to seek her acquaintance , through her brother , and never , never to blunder again , but to be calm and cool like other young men -- calm , cool , and persistent . It might have been four o'clock in the morning that I came to this determination , and so soothing was it , that I was able to take a brief nap after it . I was awakened by young Knickerbocker , the lady 's brother , tickling the soles of my feet with a rake , and I started up with such violence from a sound sleep , that I slipped on the inclined plane , rolled down to the edge , and went over into a hogshead of rain-water just underneath . `` A capital way to take your morning bath , '' smiled Knickerbocker . `` Come , Mr. Flutter , get out of that , and find your rod and line , and come along .