three o'clock
The place was as silent as the grave ; a remarkably apt comparison , by the way . The pistol shots had apparently not been heard by the police , so there was no fear of interruption from that quarter ; and as for the maids they were very carefully keeping out of harm 's way . `` Still , there was a good deal to do , and not so very much time to do it in . It was now getting on for three o'clock and the sun would be up by four . Daylight would bring the maids down and everything must be clear before they made their appearance . `` I wasted no time . One by one , I conveyed the bodies to the laboratory and deposited them in the tank , the accommodation of which was barely equal to the occasion .