midnight
He dried his clothes at the friendly warmth of the fire , and though the room was destitute of bedding , there were a few sacks on the floor . Laying himself down upon these before the fire , he was soon plunged in a deep and dreamless slumber . How long he slept he never could have guessed . He afterwards knew that it was midnight when he woke . What roused him was the sound of trampling feet on the stairs outside , and the voices of persons ascending . He lay for a few moments in the darkness , which the few smouldering embers of the dying fire scarcely served to illuminate ; and then in a sudden access of alarm be sprang to his feet and made for the door . If escape had been in his mind , he was too late .