one o'clock
His hope had been that the session might be brief . There was no clock in the room and he several times felt for the absent watch . Then he tried to estimate the time . When he believed it to be one o'clock he diversified his notes with a swift summary of Breede 's character which only the man 's bitterest enemies would have approved . At what he thought was two o'clock he stripped him of the last shreds of moral decency . When three o'clock seemed to arrive he did not dare put down , even in secretive shorthand , what he felt could justly be said of Breede . After that it was no good hoping .