midnight
The detonations were so terrific that it was not difficult for the San Franciscans to imagine themselves -- supposing they had a grain of imagination left -- in a besieged city . Isabel suggested , and Anne agreed with her , that they might have been far worse off than they were ; nature at her extremest is never so pitiless as the human brute when the lust to kill is on him . Isabel prepared the remains of the feast for Mr. Clatt , and asked Sugihara if he would object to relieving the watch , that the wharfinger might snatch a few hours ' sleep . There was no longer any danger of fire except from the conflagration itself , and now that the dynamiting had begun in earnest it was possible that the flames would be isolated before midnight . The Jap went off with the dish in one hand and a book in the other , hoping that he would be allowed to light a candle on the launch . He returned in a few moments , and for the first time he was smiling . `` Mr. Clatt will not give up his watch , '' he said .