midnight
And so they parted . As she left the room , she mentally exclaimed : '' ` Come to the rescue ! ' Yes , I am truly glad I have ! '' The guests retired to their beds , and all was still as the solemn silence of midnight . The old clock in the corner tolled the hour of eleven , and half an hour afterward , a stealthy tread might have been heard along the partition dividing the two rooms already named . Soon a door slowly opened on its rusty hinges , and in the rayless darkness Durant entered the number containing his victim . He reached the couch , and paused to assure himself that all was as he desired .