a quarter past three
Until then , it 's a matter of going on and on , like a beast of burden . '' He spoke aloud , to shake off his drowsiness . And , as a protest against a weakness of which he was ashamed , he set off at a run . It was a quarter past three . In the keener air of the morning he was conscious of a sense of well-being . Moreover , he noticed that the obscurity around him was becoming lighter and was gradually lifting like a mist . The first glimmer of dawn appeared .