three o'clock in
the morning
Pity and sympathy seemed to rob me of all manliness . Polya , as cheerful and well satisfied with herself as though nothing had happened , was tidying the master 's study and the bedroom , rummaging in the cupboards , and making the crockery jingle , and when she passed Zinaida Fyodorovna 's door , she hummed something and coughed . She was pleased that her mistress was hiding from her . In the evening she would go out somewhere , and rang at two or three o'clock in the morning , and I had to open the door to her and listen to remarks about my cough . Immediately afterwards I would hear another ring ; I would run to the room next to the study , and Zinaida Fyodorovna , putting her head out of the door , would ask , `` Who was it rung ? '' while she looked at my hands to see whether I had a telegram . When at last on Saturday the bell rang below and she heard the familiar voice on the stairs , she was so delighted that she broke into sobs .