One o'clock
No matter , life was absolutely nothing . She rose from her chair and was just on the point of turning to the door when something checked her . It was the clock of St. Michael 's striking one . One o'clock . The whole household would be in bed . He would have retired to his room long ago -- and to-morrow it would be too late . She could never say that to him to-morrow ; even now the impulse was dying away , the strength that would have broken convention and disregarded all things was fading in her .