midnight
So he had , as usual , the evening on his hands , nothing in his pockets , and a very weary heart , under a last year 's evening coat . And his lodgings were becoming a horror to him ; the landlady 's cat had already killed two enormous rats In the hallway ; also cabbage had been cooked in the kitchen that day . Which left him no other choice than to go out again and take more air . Before midnight he had no longer any coin in his pockets , and he was not drunk yet . The situation seemed hopeless , and he found a policeman and inquired politely for the nearest recruiting station ; but when he got there the station was closed , and his kicks on the door brought nobody but a prowling Bowery b ` hoy , sullenly in quest of single combat . So Berkley , being at leisure , accommodated him , picked him up , propped him limply against a doorway , resumed his own hat and coat , and walked thoughtfully and unsteadily homeward , where he slept like an infant in spite of rats , cabbage , and a swollen lip . Next day , however , matters were less cheerful .