midnight
`` You may be sure the ould fellow looked darker and grimmer than ever at Jack : but what could he do ? Jack had done his duty ? so he sat before the fire , and sung ` Love among the Roses , ' and the ` Black Joke , ' with a stouter and a lighter heart than ever , while the black chap , could have seen him skivered . `` When midnight came , Jack , who kept a hawk 's eye to the night , was at the hawthorn with the wild filly , saddled and all -- more betoken , she was n't a bit wild then , but as tame as a dog . Off they set , like Erin-go-bragh , Jack and the lady , and never pulled bridle till it was one o'clock next day , when they stopped at an inn , and had some refreshment . They then took to the road again , full speed ; however , they had n't gone far , when they heard a great noise behind them , and the tramp of horses galloping like mad . ` Jack , ' says the darling , on hearing the hubbub , ` look behind you , and see what 's this . '