three o’clock in the morning
Nadia was silent , and from that moment avoided every subject which in any way touched on Michael 's peculiar situation . He had a secret motive which she must respect . She respected it . The next day , July 25th , at three o'clock in the morning , the tarantass arrived at Tioukalmsk , having accomplished a distance of eighty miles since it had crossed the Ichim . They rapidly changed horses . Here , however , for the first time , the iemschik made difficulties about starting , declaring that detachments of Tartars were roving across the steppe , and that travelers , horses , and carriages would be a fine prize for them . Only by dint of a large bribe could Michael get over the unwillingness of the iemschik , for in this instance , as in many others , he did not wish to show his podorojna .