midnight
`` Neenah came up from the village ahead of the attacking party , out of breath and terribly frightened . We did n't waste a second , let me tell you . Grabbing up our guns , we got out through the rear and made a dash across the stable yard . It was near midnight . I had received the committee at nine and had given them my reasons for not resigning the post . They went away apparently satisfied , which aroused my suspicions . I knew that there was something behind that exhibition of meekness .