midnight
Jane was waiting , listening for what ? The frightened freshmen seemed secure tonight in their dormitories , assured of protection by Jane and Judith , two of the bravest girls in all Wellington . Also they had been promised a solution of the noise mystery and was not that in itself sufficient alleviative ? The clock in the hall tingled a chime , sweet almost playful music for the elves of midnight and a challenge to baser intruders . Jane must have dozed when she suddenly became conscious of something -- Was it a noise ? She listened , alert and all but quivering in anticipation . There never had been any question of actual danger surrounding the weird happenings , but now that she faced the mystery something very like panic seized her .