twelve minutes past twelve
`` Come , dear boy . Come , dear old horse , '' she urged . `` Five minutes more will take us there . '' The watch 's cruel face told the hour to be twelve minutes past twelve , but Sydney did not feel so keen a pang as when she looked last , although it was later than the fatal hour . The continued silence gave her confidence . Only the bay of a hound in some cove below , and the yelp of a puppy , reached her . She was dully dogged .