midnight
`` What say you ? Are you awake ? Shall I have the rum ? '' continued our midnight visitor . I waited for the old gentleman to come to some conclusion , and although he was intensely agitated at the thought of an interview , he gave a token of assent . `` Call off the dog and let him come in , '' said Fred , `` and do you keep in the background for the present , '' addressing our guest . I quieted Rover with a word , and then unbolted and unbarred the door and threw it open , feeling some curiosity to see the man who had had the audacity to commit extensive forgeries , and yet escape the punishment of the law , especially when the criminal code of England is so rigid that rank or station in life is not respected .