ten o'clock
She concluded the wisest policy was to let her sister alone , and to go to sleep herself as fast as possible . Accordingly she knelt for a few moments by her bedside in her little white nightdress , and then tumbled into it , and with a happy sigh went into the land of dreams . A moment or two later Ermengarde softly opened the door of the sleeping-room and went out . It was ten o'clock , and the household , tired from the day 's pleasuring , were all preparing to go to bed . Ermengarde ran along the corridor , flew downstairs the back way , and found herself in the schoolroom part of the house . She took her waterproof cloak and an old garden-hat from a peg on the wall , and let herself out by a side-door . If she ran very fast she would probably be back before George , the old butler , had drawn the bolts and put the chain on for the night .