midnight
And he was , then , one of those connected with the golden ship in the harbour -- the strange ship manned by cut-throats , and built for a ` South American Republic . ' Indeed did the mystery deepen , the problem became more profound , every moment that I worked upon it . Who was this man ? I asked , and why did he sit in an Italian hotel fingering jewels , and giving a meeting-place at midnight to a common murderer from a dockyard ? Were the jewels his own ? Had he stolen them ? Suggestions and queries poured upon me ; I felt that , whatever it might be , I would know the truth ; and I resolved to dare beyond my custom , and to learn more of the bearded man and of his gems .