nearly six o'clock
One evening , however , about three months after the first crisis and just as Vandover was becoming well accustomed to the condition of body and mind in which it had left him , the second attack came on . It was fearful , much worse than on the first occasion , and this time there was no room for doubt . Vandover knew that for the moment he was actually insane . Ellis had been with Vandover most of that afternoon , the two had been playing cards in Vandover 's room until nearly six o'clock . All the afternoon they had been drinking whisky while they played , and by supper-time neither of them had any appetite . Ellis refused to go down , declaring that if he should eat now it would make him sick . Vandover went down alone , but once in the dining-room he found that _ he _ could not eat either .