three o'clock in the
morning
But he smothered that part of his thought as well as he could ; he made every effort to drive it away , and with fair success , but he could n't keep it from intruding a little now and then , and when it intruded it came suddenly and nipped him like a bite , a sting , a burn . He recognized that thought by the peculiar sharpness of its pang . The others were painful enough , but that one cut to the quick when it came . Night after night he lay tossing to the music of the hideous snoring of the honest bread-winners until two and three o'clock in the morning , then got up and took refuge on the roof , where he sometimes got a nap and sometimes failed entirely . His appetite was leaving him and the zest of life was going along with it . Finally , one day , being near the imminent verge of total discouragement , he said to himself -- and took occasion to blush privately when he said it , `` If my father knew what my American name is , -- he -- well , my duty to my father rather requires that I furnish him my name . I have no right to make his days and nights unhappy , I can do enough unhappiness for the family all by myself .