nearly noon
As his right hand grasped a billet of wood from the little pile , something seemed to break in his head . His strength collapsed , he fell forward from his knee to his full length in the ashes and dust , and he felt nothing more . The porter unbarred the door and looked out . It was nearly noon and the southerly breeze was blowing . The footway was almost deserted . On the other side of the canal , in the shadow of the Beroviero house , an old man who sold melons in slices had gone to sleep under a bit of ragged awning , and the flies had their will of him and his wares . A small boy simply dressed in a shirt , and nothing else , stood at a little distance , looking at the fruit and listening attentively to the voice of the tempter that bade him help himself .