midnight
Then he laughed , not a hearty laugh , to be sure . A tiny nose and a tail gracefully curled were brushing against him . The source of the disturbance was a little Maltese cat , his favourite , that by some chance had remained in his room . After its essay at midnight gymnastics the animal quieted down and lay purring at the foot of his bed . The presence of a living thing was a certain comfort , and the reservoir of his strength was well nigh exhausted . He dimly remembered his promise to Ethel , but his lids drooped with sheer weariness . Perhaps an hour passed in this way , when suddenly his blood congealed with dread .