midnight
Its very position suggested an accident to my mind , and so fell in with my theory of a nightmare . I no longer doubted that the attack had taken place before Mademoiselle had retired for the night . After wakening from her frightful dream and crying aloud for help , she had fainted . `` My theory , based on the evidence of the shots that were heard at midnight , demanded two shots -- one which wounded the murderer at the time of his attack , and one fired at the time of the nightmare . The evidence given by the Berniers before the examining magistrate was to the effect that only one shot had been heard . Monsieur Stangerson testified to hearing a dull sound first followed by a sharp ringing sound . The dull sound I explained by the falling of the marble-topped table ; the ringing sound was the shot from the revolver .