about midnight
Turning round , she saw the flash of the gold thimble as it rested on the mantelpiece . She slipped that also into her pocket . She then opened the window , and , as she had done on a previous night long ago , she got out and let herself down to the ground . She was now out all alone about midnight . Once again the numb feeling had come back to her ; nevertheless her mind was made up . She would at any cost get back to the sea . She walked across the grass .