midnight
All to no purpose . Theodore could give no tangible reasons for his unwavering opinion ; but his early living by his wits , among all sorts of people , had so sharpened his ideas that he felt almost hopelessly certain that a villain was being harbored among them . Now while he tried to answer coherently Mr. Stephens ' questions , he was thinking hard and nervously what was to be done . What was the man 's object in hiding at midnight in his employer 's house ? Was Mr. Stephens ' life in danger ? Was the man a murderer , or simply a thief ? What did he know of their private affairs ?