about four o'clock in the morning
Nancy fell asleep and leaned on Judith , making her most uncomfortable . Sally May confessed quite openly to a feeling of sickness , and in a steady whisper poured into Judith 's ear the ghastly details of how ill she had been at Knowlton after a lobster supper . The night wore on . Most of them finally went to sleep in uncomfortable attitudes , but about four o'clock in the morning , Judith , who was much too unhappy and too uncomfortable to sleep , got up stiffly from the floor and walking about the room , tried the door once more . To her huge astonishment and joy it opened ! Catherine had come up a couple of hours before , but the striking of the big clock in the hall had covered the very slight noise of the turning of the lock . `` It was open all the time , '' protested several unhappy voices .