about six o'clock
It was about six o'clock of a winter 's morning . In the eastern sky faint streaks of grey had come and were succeeded by flashes of red , crimson-cloaked heralds of the coming day . It had snowed the day before , but a warm wind had sprung up during the night , and the snow had partially melted , leaving the earth showing through in ugly patches of yellow clay and sooty mud . Half despoiled of their white mantle , though with enough of it left to stand out in bold contrast to the bare places , the houses loomed up , black , dripping , and hideous .