midnight
And then his uncle , never forgetting duty , took a sharp look out of the eight clearly polished windows that commanded a view of the surrounding district . Discovering no sign of fire , he resumed the conversation with his nephew , asking him about his business -LRB- which he was happy to learn was prosperous -RRB- , and giving him a quantity of good advice which none but a genius could remember , or an angel follow . During these exhortations , Uncle Ith paced to and fro in the little room , looking out of some window at the end of every sentence . Bog sat on a three-legged stool -LRB- the only seat except a backless chair -RRB- by the side of a miniature stove , on whose top hissed the kettle , from which Uncle Ith made his pot of coffee at midnight . The night was cold ; the little fire was warm ; and Bog liked to hear advice from his uncle ; but his eyes would wander to a certain window , as if , for some reason , he would derive great pleasure in opening and looking out of it . This movement of his eyes was so frequent , that Uncle Ith observed it , and said : `` Ah , I see ! You want to stare out of that southeast window again .