midnight
Near about twelve o'clock our strained hearing detected the sound of a slight fumbling at the door . It opened , and the moonlight streaming in through the uncurtained windows showed us , through our half-shut eyelids , the figures of our escort and the hunchback . They moved like cats about the room . It struck me even then that they were used to these midnight searches . A thrill of fear went through me as the hunchback passed the bed , but a dogged persistency was with me still that they should not have our money . Our handbags were taken out of the room , doubtless to be examined at leisure by the old woman , and mulct of anything valuable . We heard a slight clink of money which meant the purse was emptied .