nine o'clock
Howard went out and sat on the campus under a great shadowing tree . He watched a silver thread of a moon slip down between the branches and dip behind the hill , and while he sat there he went through all the desolation of a lonely life ; the bitterness of having Leslie taken from him by one who was unworthy ! -- He persuaded himself that he loved her enough to be willing to step aside and give her up to a man who was better than himself -- but this little whiffet -- ugh ! The chimes on the library pealed out nine o'clock , reminding him of his work half done , yet the shadow of engulfing sorrow and loss hung over him . With a jerk he drew himself up and tried to grasp at common sense . How ridiculous of him to get up all this nightmare out of a few minutes ' talk with a fellow who used to be the Clouds ' old neighbor . He might not have been telling the truth .