midnight
The housekeeper and her husband , who were the only persons , that had inhabited the castle , for some years , were so terrified by the strange noises they heard in the nights , that they would live there no longer ; a report soon went abroad , that it was haunted , and the whole country believed this the more readily , I suppose , because it had been said , that the lady marchioness had died in a strange way , and because my lord never would return to the place afterwards . '' `` But why , '' said Emily , `` were not these pirates contented with the cave -- why did they think it necessary to deposit their spoil in the castle ? '' `` The cave , madam , '' replied Ludovico , `` was open to anybody , and their treasures would not long have remained undiscovered there , but in the vaults they were secure so long as the report prevailed of their being haunted . Thus then , it appears , that they brought at midnight , the spoil they took on the seas , and kept it till they had opportunities of disposing of it to advantage . The pirates were connected with Spanish smugglers and banditti , who live among the wilds of the Pyrenees , and carry on various kinds of traffic , such as nobody would think of ; and with this desperate horde of banditti I remained , till my lord arrived . I shall never forget what I felt , when I first discovered him -- I almost gave him up for lost ! but I knew , that , if I showed myself , the banditti would discover who he was , and probably murder us all , to prevent their secret in the château being detected .