midnight
It was several miles to the nearest railway station , but that did not trouble him at all . Young and strong as he was , a five-mile walk was nothing , and he found it no hardship to get up in the cold , dark morning in order to catch the first train , northward . He did not arrive in Manchester until late that night , and then found that the last train for Brunford had left some time before he came . Like all lads country-reared , he had heard about the dangers of big towns , of thieves , of midnight murder -- and Manchester frightened him . He could not understand it at all , and in his ignorance and fear he shrunk from asking questions . `` You 'll go to some pub. , I suppose ? '' said a porter who had told him about the last train to Brunford .