two o'clock in the morning
And so it turned out that the Hurly-Burly was filled with guests , and it goes without saying that they all had a merry time . Uncle Ted was in his element , and he provided fun for the children and entertainment for the older guests , until even languid Gertrude was stirred to enthusiasm . It was late when they all retired , and after Mrs. Barlow had insured the comfort of her guests and her children , she lay down to rest and fell asleep at once . Although Mr. Harris had expressed himself satisfied with his couch in the music-room , yet as it was hard and narrow , his slumbers were not very profound , and at two o'clock in the morning he awoke from a light doze , and began to sniff in the darkness . `` I believe I smell fire , '' he said to himself . He jumped up and ran into the hall , where he found the whole staircase was a charred and smouldering mass ready to break into flame at any moment . Mr. Harris was a man of quick action , but he paused a moment to consider .