midnight
He went back into his room slowly , shutting the doors after him . The peaceful steady light of his reading-lamp shone on the watch . Razumov stood looking down at the little white dial . It wanted yet three minutes to midnight . He took the watch into his hand fumblingly . `` Slow , '' he muttered , and a strange fit of nervelessness came over him . His knees shook , the watch and chain slipped through his fingers in an instant and fell on the floor .