midnight
He gave the wet ball one last squeeze , and took his hand out of his pocket , and said a few words before going to enlist . He said -- ` The others may deserve what you say . I hope they do , I 'm sure . But I do n't , because it was my rotten cricket ball that stopped up the pipe and caused the midnight flood in our bedroom . And I knew it quite early this morning . And I did n't own up . ' Oswald stood there covered with shame , and he could feel the hateful cricket ball heavy and cold against the top of his leg , through the pocket .