midnight
He could hear the voices of a woman and of a child raised in entreaty and terror , and without pausing to consider the consequences , sprang up the broken stairs to the room from which they issued . On opening the door a scene presented itself that would have stirred the sympathies of a man of stone . Pat Brannigan , the big wharf labourer , had devoted the greater portion of his week 's wages to making himself and his boon companions drunk with the vile rum dealt out at the groggery hard by . At midnight he had stumbled home , and throwing himself upon his bed sought to sleep off the effects of his carouse . Waking up late in the morning with a raging headache , a burning tongue , and bloodshot eyes , he had become infuriated at his poor , little girl , that cowered tremblingly in a corner , because she would not go out and get him some more drink . Half-crazed , and utterly reckless , he had sprung at the child , and might have inflicted mortal injury upon her had not the mother interposed , and kept him at bay for a moment , while she joined her shrieks to those the girl was already uttering . It was just at this moment that Bert entered the room .