nearly eleven o’clock
Lead the way ! '' They went in from the yard and up to the fourth storey . The staircase got darker and darker as they went up . It was nearly eleven o'clock and although in summer in Petersburg there is no real night , yet it was quite dark at the top of the stairs . A grimy little door at the very top of the stairs stood ajar . A very poor-looking room about ten paces long was lighted up by a candle-end ; the whole of it was visible from the entrance . It was all in disorder , littered up with rags of all sorts , especially children 's garments .