midnight
The officer who had been put in charge of the _ Manilla _ when she fell into the hands of the French privateersmen was a very fine young fellow named Dumaresq ; a smart seaman , high-spirited , and as brave as a lion . We early took a fancy to each other , especially after I had offered him his parole , and we soon became exceedingly friendly . He possessed a rich fund of amusing anecdote , together with the art of telling a story well ; he was refined in manner , excellently educated , and an accomplished pianist ; he was , therefore , quite an acquisition to the cuddy , and now that the ship was no longer in his possession , was heartily welcomed there by Captain Chesney and his passengers . I scarcely ever turned in until after midnight , and by and by young Dumaresq contracted the habit of joining me on the poop and smoking a cigar with me after the passengers had retired for the night ; and upon one of these occasions our conversation turned upon the clever capture of the ship by himself and his countrymen . This aroused my curiosity afresh , and after he had been talking for some time about it , I said : `` But how in the world did you manage to get aboard in such terrific weather ? That is what puzzles me ! '' `` No doubt , _ mon cher _ , '' he answered with a laugh .