midnight
That done , he replaced his piece of secret workmanship in his pocket ; and leaving the lamp burning , and closing the door carefully and without noise , stole out into the street -- as little suspected by the locksmith in his sound deep sleep , as by Barnaby himself in his phantom-haunted dreams . Clear of the locksmith 's house , Sim Tappertit laid aside his cautious manner , and assuming in its stead that of a ruffling , swaggering , roving blade , who would rather kill a man than otherwise , and eat him too if needful , made the best of his way along the darkened streets . Half pausing for an instant now and then to smite his pocket and assure himself of the safety of his master key , he hurried on to Barbican , and turning into one of the narrowest of the narrow streets which diverged from that centre , slackened his pace and wiped his heated brow , as if the termination of his walk were near at hand . It was not a very choice spot for midnight expeditions , being in truth one of more than questionable character , and of an appearance by no means inviting . From the main street he had entered , itself little better than an alley , a low-browed doorway led into a blind court , or yard , profoundly dark , unpaved , and reeking with stagnant odours . Into this ill-favoured pit , the locksmith 's vagrant ` prentice groped his way ; and stopping at a house from whose defaced and rotten front the rude effigy of a bottle swung to and fro like some gibbeted malefactor , struck thrice upon an iron grating with his foot . After listening in vain for some response to his signal , Mr Tappertit became impatient , and struck the grating thrice again .