ten minutes to
nine
She hurries on ; she meets more people , but she does not fear them -- the worst is over . The noise of the city grows louder , the street is lighter , the skyline of the Prater street rises before her , and she knows that she can sink into a flood tide of humanity there and lose herself in it . When she comes to a street lamp she is quite calm enough now to take out her watch and look at it . It is ten minutes to nine . She holds the watch to her ear -- it is ticking merrily . And she thinks : `` Here I am , alive , unharmed -- and he -- he -- dead . It is Fate . ''