about
midnight
But he had little to say when the Colonel urged him to compare the strength by which they had undertaken to overthrow the government with that which was now assembling very rapidly for its support . To this statement Waverley had but one answer : ` If the cause I have undertaken be perilous , there would be the greater disgrace in abandoning it . ' And in his turn he generally silenced Colonel Talbot , and succeeded in changing the subject . One night , when , after a long dispute of this nature , the friends had separated and our hero had retired to bed , he was awakened about midnight by a suppressed groan . He started up and listened ; it came from the apartment of Colonel Talbot , which was divided from his own by a wainscotted partition , with a door of communication . Waverley approached this door and distinctly heard one or two deep-drawn sighs . What could be the matter ?