midnight
As it was late and I was almost exhausted , I began to think of rest . But my uneasiness in regard to madame would not let me sleep till I had made another visit to her room . So , leaving the gentle sleeper lapped in serenest dreams , I proceeded to descend once more . As I passed the great clock on the stairs , I noticed that it was almost midnight and began to hasten my steps , when I heard a loud knock at the front door . This is not an infrequent sound with us , but it greatly startled me this night . I even remember pausing and looking helplessly up and down the hall , as if it were a question whether I should obey the unwelcome summons . But such knocking as speedily followed could not be long ignored .