midnight
Had the peasant befriended her , I wondered ; and what did she think of my protracted absence ? I sat on the edge of the bed and gave rein to my conjectures . The noises in the castle had all ceased , and still I sat on , unconscious of time , my taper burning low . It may have been midnight when I was startled by the sound of a stealthy step in the corridor near my door . A heavy footfall I should have left unheeded , but this soft tread aroused me on the instant , and I sat listening . It halted at my door , and was succeeded by a soft , scratching sound . Noiselessly I rose , and with ready hands I waited , prepared , in the instinct of self-preservation , to fall upon the intruder , however futile the act might be .