a quarter to ten
sighed Slimak . ` Now , Pawel ! drive on as fast as the horses will go , ' cried the priest . He pulled out his repeater watch : it was a quarter to ten . ` I shall be late , ' he murmured , ` but not too late for everything ; there will be time for some fun yet . ' As soon as the sledge had melted into the darkness , and silence again brooded over his home , an irresistible desire for sleep seized Slimak . He dragged himself to the stable , but he hesitated .