midnight
It was in an official envelope , `` On Her Majesty 's Service , '' and the seal was an official seal . On the folded paper inside it -LRB- folded officially also -RRB- I read the following order : `` Mr. Wilcox is requested to permit the bearer , the daughter of the postmaster at Eaton , to see the working of the railway post-office during the up-journey . '' The writing I knew well as being that of one of the surveyor 's clerks , and the signature was Mr. Huntingdon 's . The bearer of the order presented herself at the door , the snorting of the engine gave notice of the instant departure of the train , I held out my hand , the young lady sprang lightly and deftly into the van , and we were off again on our midnight journey . She was a small slight creature , one of those slender little girls one never thinks of as being a woman , dressed neatly and plainly in a dark dress , with a veil hanging a little over her face and tied under her chin : the most noticeable thing about her appearance being a great mass of light hair , almost yellow , which had got loose in some way , and fell down her neck in thick wavy tresses . She had a free pleasant way about her , not in the least bold or forward , which in a minute or two made her presence seem the most natural thing in the world . As she stood beside me before the row of boxes into which I was sorting my letters , she asked questions and I answered as if it were quite an every-day occurrence for us to be travelling up together in the night mail to Euston-square station .