midnight
The letter went on to describe how Mountjoy Scarborough was missed from his usual haunts , how search was made by the police , how the newspapers were filled with the strange incident , and how Harry had told nothing of what had occurred . `` But beyond this , '' the letter went on to say , `` he positively denied , in conversation with the gentleman 's brother , that he had anything to do with the gentleman on the night in question . If this be so , he absolutely lied . A man who would lie on such an occasion , knowing himself to have been guilty of having beaten the man in such a way as to have probably caused his death , -- for he had left him for dead under the railings in a London street and in the midnight hour , -- and would positively assert to the gentleman 's brother that he had not seen the gentleman on the night in question , when he had every reason to believe that he had killed him , -- a deed which might or might not be murder , -- is not fit to be recognized as my heir . '' There were other sentences equally long and equally complicated , in all of which Mr. Prosper strove to tell the story with tragic effect , but all of which had reference to the same transaction . He said nothing as to the ultimate destination of the property , nor of his own proposed marriage . Should he have a son , that son would , of course , have the property .