midnight
She was rising up to fetch a fresh piece of wood in the kitchen when a fearful hurricane fell upon the house , making the doors rattle , tearing off a shutter and whirling the water in the broken gutters like a spout against the window . In the midst of the uproar a ring at the bell startled the old lady . Who could it be at such an hour and in such weather ? Burle never returned till after midnight , if he came home at all . However , she went to the door . An officer stood before her , dripping with rain and swearing savagely . `` Hell and thunder ! ''