About three o'clock
She had never returned him a harsh word , and had waited on him faithfully : that was her utmost . Old Featherstone himself was not in the least anxious about his soul , and had declined to see Mr. Tucker on the subject . To-night he had not snapped , and for the first hour or two he lay remarkably still , until at last Mary heard him rattling his bunch of keys against the tin box which he always kept in the bed beside him . About three o'clock he said , with remarkable distinctness , `` Missy , come here ! '' Mary obeyed , and found that he had already drawn the tin box from under the clothes , though he usually asked to have this done for him ; and he had selected the key . He now unlocked the box , and , drawing from it another key , looked straight at her with eyes that seemed to have recovered all their sharpness and said , `` How many of 'em are in the house ? '' `` You mean of your own relations , sir , '' said Mary , well used to the old man 's way of speech .