twelve o'clock
It has always seemed strange to me , that though mankind hate metaphysics , they are all natural metaphysicians , especially when a little _ wined _ . Perhaps the true reason may be , that as wine came from the gods , it is endued with the power of raising us to its source . At least , our aspirations , from being _ devine _ , become wonderfully _ divine _ , so that supernatural agencies wax less difficult to our imaginations ; and while we are ten times more ready to meet a ghost , we are as many times more ready to admit their possibility . But the end of these grand and elevated conditions is generally sleep and an ugly nightmare ; and though my case was an exception as regards the latter , I awoke in not a very happy mood , just as Graeme entered the room and told me it was twelve o'clock . As I rubbed my eyes , he sat down in his chair , and seemed inclined to court silence ; but it was clear he could not achieve repose . I felt no inclination to add to his apparent disturbance by any remarks on what I had seen ; but it struck me as remarkable , that , while he got into contortions and general restlessness , putting his hand to his brow , throwing one leg over another , closing his hands , and heaving long sighs , he never so much as thought it worth his pains to ask my opinion of the scene in the wood . It seemed as if he was so thoroughly convinced of a divine manifestation against him , that he despised any exceptional scepticism as utterly beneath his notice or attention -- thoroughly engrossed , as he appeared to be , with the terrible sanction of a portent of some coming retribution .