three in the morning
What was strangest was the fate which made it so hard for him to come into contact with Framtree . He could not give up this thing -- this last link to reality . He felt himself better off here -- than alone at the _ hacienda _ . This time , between two and three in the morning , he was so tense and animate that he heard the soft , swift tread of a Chinese in the hall and the faintest possible rustle of a paper thrust under his door . He waited a moment before turning on the light ... . It was another missive from the Spaniard , and read : MY ESTEEMED BEDIENT : The request herein to be set forth may appear to you as a reflection upon the quality of my friendship , as it certainly is an indication of the force of your personality . You are felt in this establishment , my valued friend , like some tarrying Nemesis .