Three o'clock
They were silent , irritated by the wait , and struggling with the absurd anxiety that oppressed them . They counted the seconds singly , by the beating of their hearts . It was interminable . Three o'clock sounded from somewhere . `` You see , '' grinned M. Desmalions , in an altered voice , `` you see ! There 's nothing , thank goodness ! '' And he growled : `` It 's idiotic , perfectly idiotic !