three o'clock
He became a little calmer , and as he was mixing himself a glass of whisky and water at the sideboard he decided that he would go to bed . He was sure that he would be better for a good night 's rest ; evidently his nerves were out of order ; it would not do for him to read late at night . He realized all at once that his mind and body alike were exhausted . He passed a miserable night , dozing and waking at alternate hours until three o'clock , when he found it impossible to get to sleep ; hour after hour he lay flat on his back staring open-eyed into the darkness , listening to the ticking of the clock , the mysterious footsteps that creaked the floors overhead , and the persistent drip of a water faucet . Outside in the street he heard at long intervals the rattling of wheels as the early milk wagons came and went ; a dog began to bark , three gruff notes repeated monotonously at exact intervals ; all at once there was a long muffled roll and an abrupt clacking noise ; it ceased , then broke out again sharply , paused once more , then recommenced , settling to a prolonged minor hum ; the cable was starting up ; it was almost morning , the window of his room began to show a brighter blur in the darkness , while very far off he could hear the steady puffing of a locomotive . As the first cable-car trundled by the house he dropped off to sleep for the last time , being waked again toward nine o'clock by the sound of some one shovelling coal outside under his window , the shovel clinking and rasping upon the stone sidewalk . He felt a little refreshed , but as he entered the dining-room for his late breakfast the smell of food repulsed him ; his appetite was gone ; it was impossible for him to eat .