half past eleven
I said we would leave the village at 3 or 4 P.M. on the morrow ; meantime he could notify the guides , and also let the public know of the attempt which we proposed to make . I went to bed , but not to sleep . No man can sleep when he is about to undertake one of these Alpine exploits . I tossed feverishly all night long , and was glad enough when I heard the clock strike half past eleven and knew it was time to get up for dinner . I rose , jaded and rusty , and went to the noon meal , where I found myself the center of interest and curiosity ; for the news was already abroad . It is not easy to eat calmly when you are a lion ; but it is very pleasant , nevertheless . As usual , at Zermatt , when a great ascent is about to be undertaken , everybody , native and foreign , laid aside his own projects and took up a good position to observe the start .