nine
o'clock
At seven o'clock in the morning he sent a note to Sir Charles Bassett , to say that his house had been attacked last night by two armed burglars ; he and his people had captured one , and wished to take him before a magistrate at once , since his house was not a fit place to hold him secure . He concluded Sir Charles would not refuse him the benefit of the law , however obnoxious he might be . Sir Charles 's lips curled with contempt at the man who was not ashamed to put such a doubt on paper . However , he wrote back a civil line , to say that of course he was at Mr. Bassett 's service , and would be in his justice-room at nine o'clock . Meantime , Mr. Richard Bassett went for the constable and an assistant ; but , even to them , he would not say precisely what he wanted them for . His plan was to march an unknown burglar , with his crape on his face , into Sir Charles 's study , give his evidence , and then reveal the son to the father . Jessie managed to hold her tongue for an hour or two , and nothing occurred at Highmore or in Huntercombe to interfere with Richard Bassett 's barbarous revenge .