midnight
The green baize door stood temptingly half open ; no creature was to be seen -- no sound to be heard . Rose 's heart throbbed fast ; the mysterious stillness of the night , the ghostly shimmer of the moonlight , the mystery and romance of her adventure , set every pulse tingling , but she did not hesitate . Her slippered feet crossed the hall lightly ; she was beside the green door . Then there was another pause -- a moment 's breathless listening , but the dead stillness of midnight was unbroken . She tip-toed down the short corridor , and looked into the room . The study was quite deserted ; a lamp burned on a table strewn with books , papers , and writing materials . Rose glanced wonderingly around at the book-lined walls .