midnight
He was no coward , but he suddenly realized the utter helplessness of his position . Where was he ? He did not know . Who were these men , who met alone in this deserted house at midnight ? He did not know . He was a weaker man than either ; and how many more of them might there not be hidden within hearing distance now ? If they chose to do him violence -- to murder him , in short -- he would be totally incapable of offering any adequate resistance .