midnight
Reuben Gray expressed great anxiety -- not upon account of the judge , or Miss Merlin , who , he averred , were both capable of taking care of themselves and each other , but on account of Sam and his valuable charge that he feared had in some way or other come to harm . Ishmael tried to reassure him by declaring his own opinion that all was right , and that Sam was only waiting at Baymouth for the arrival of his master . Reuben Gray only shook his head and predicted all sorts of misfortunes . But Ishmael 's supposition was proved to be correct , when late Wednesday night , or rather -- for it was after midnight -- early Thursday morning , the unusual sound of carriage wheels passing the road before the cottage waked up all its inmates , and announced to them the arrival of the judge and his daughter . Reuben Gray started up and hurried on his clothes . Ishmael sprang out of bed and looked forth from the window . But the carriage without pausing for a moment rolled on its way to Tanglewood House .