three o'clock in the morning
He addressed himself chiefly to Chris , who answered courteously ; and described the sacking of the shrine at some length . `` He had already set aside our cross called Hierusalem , '' cried the monk , his weak face looking infinitely pathetic with its mingled sorrow and anger , `` and two of our gold chalices , to take them with him when he went ; and then with his knives and hammers , as the psalmist tells us , he hacked off the silver plates from the shrine . There was a fellow I knew very well -- he had been to me to confession two days before -- who held a candle and laughed . And then when all was done ; and that was not till three o'clock in the morning , one of the smiths tested the metal and cried out that there was not one piece of true gold in it all . And Mr. Pollard raged at us for it , and told us that our gold was as counterfeit as the rotten bones that we worshipped . But indeed there was plenty of gold ; and the man lied ; for it was a very rich shrine . God 's vengeance will fall on them for their lies and their robbery .