two o'clock
I _ dare _ na ' set a candle but wax in his presence , ' whispered the old woman , scornfully . ` I think if we were to stir the fire , and put on a little more coal , we should have a great deal of light . ' ` He 'll ha ' the candles , ' said Dame Wyat , doggedly ; and she tottered from the chamber , muttering to herself ; and I heard her take her candle from the next room and depart , shutting the outer door after her . Here was I then alone , but for this unearthly companion , whom I feared inexpressibly , at two o'clock , in the vast old house of Bartram . I stirred the fire . It was low , and would not blaze . I stood up , and , with my hand on the mantelpiece , endeavoured to think of cheerful things .