midnight
`` What damned mummery is this ? '' he cried , and snatching at the sheet , dragged it from the black distorted countenance of the corpse . He shuddered but for a moment he could not stir . He felt the midnight eyes of the girl -- he saw the twisted , oozing mouth of the hag , blue-black and hideous . Suddenly back behind there in the darkness a shriek split the night like a sudden flash of flame -- a great ringing scream that cracked and swelled and stopped . With one wild effort the man hurled himself out the door and plunged through the darkness . Panting and cursing , he flashed his huge revolver -- '' _ bang !