five o'clock in the morning
Good-night and pleasant dreams to a duellist on the eve of a duel ! Was it a sarcasm on the colonel 's part ? By no means ; it was only the manifestation of his habitual smooth politeness . The duke , left to himself , walked up and down the floor for a few minutes , and then rang for his valet to attend him , and retired to bed , leaving orders to be called at five o'clock in the morning . Though left in quietness , he could not compose himself to sleep , but tossed and tumbled from side to side , spending the most wakeful and the most miserable night he had ever known in the whole course of his life . The time seemed stretched out upon a rack of torture , until the four hours extended to forty ; for from the moment he had lain down he had not slept an instant , until he was startled by a rap at his bedroom door , and the voice of his valet calling : `` If you please , your grace , the clock has struck five ; the coffee is ready , and the cab is at the door . '' `` Then come in and dress me quickly , '' answered the duke , rising , as the prompt servant entered and handed a dressing-gown .