twelve o'clock at night
The same occurred at Charteris . You accompanied Mr. Mark Wylder in his midnight flight to London , Miss Lake . Of your stay in London I say nothing . It was protracted to the 2nd October , when you arrived in the down train at Dollington at twelve o'clock at night , and took a cab to the `` White House , '' where you were met by a gentleman answering the description of your brother , Captain Lake . Now , Miss Lake , I have stated no particulars , but do you think that knowing all this , and knowing the _ fraud _ by which your absence was covered , and perfectly understanding , as every man conversant with this sinful world must do , the full significance of all this , I could dream of permitting you , Miss Lake , to become domesticated as an inmate in the family of a pure-minded , though simple and unfortunate clergyman ? ' ` It may become my duty , ' he resumed , ` to prosecute a searching enquiry , Madam , into the circumstances of Mr. Mark Wylder 's disappearance . If you have the slightest regard for your own honour , you will not precipitate that measure , Miss Lake ; and so sure as you persist in your unwarrantable design of residing in that unsuspecting family , I will publish what I shall then feel called upon by my position to make known ; for I will be no party to seeing an innocent family compromised by admitting an inmate of whose real character they have not the faintest suspicion , and I shall at once set in motion a public enquiry into the circumstances of Mr. Mark Wylder 's disappearance . '