eleven
o'clock at night
However , with much difficulty I made a shift to open it , and arrived in safety at the house of my very good friend Mr. G -- , who , being a justice of the peace , had promised me his protection , if it should be wanted . `` Thus secured for the present , I sent out spies to bring information of his lordship 's proceedings , and understood that he had taken possession of my house , turned my servants adrift , and made himself master of all my movables , clothes , and papers . As for the papers , they were of no consequence , but of clothes I had a good stock ; and , when I had reason to believe that he did not intend to relinquish his conquest , I thought it was high time for me to remove to a greater distance from his quarters . Accordingly , two days after my escape , I set out at eleven o'clock at night , in a chariot and four , which I borrowed of my friend , attended by a footman , who was a stout fellow , and well armed , I myself being provided with a brace of good pistols , which I was fully determined to use against any person who should presume to lay violent hands upon me , except my lord , for whom a less mortal weapon would have sufficed , such as a bodkin or a tinder-box . Nothing could be farther from my intention than the desire of hurting any living creature , much less my husband : my design was only to defend myself from cruelty and oppression , which I knew , by fatal experience , would infallibly be my lot , should he get me into his power . And I thought I had as good a right to preserve my happiness , as that which every individual has to preserve his life , especially against a set of ruffians , who were engaged to rob me of it for a little dirty lucre . `` In the midst of our journey , the footman came up , and told me I was dogged ; upon which I looked out , and , seeing a man riding by the chariot side , presented one of my pistols out of my window , and preserved that posture of defence , until he thought proper to retreat , and rid me of the fears that attended his company .