midnight
Our present expedition was very different to those in which I had before been engaged . We now went up in daylight , with a force which no enemy was likely to attack . Mackey 's Mills were reached soon after noon , and when I had delivered the provisions I was ordered to remain to assist in passing the troops across the river on their way to the attack of Portsmouth . The embarkation was not to take place till midnight , so I had ample time to go up the river to ascertain whether the house where Madeline had been residing had been attacked . O'Driscoll was ready enough to accompany me , to give me , as he observed , one chance more of doing the proper thing ; but , before I went , I was anxious to ascertain whether Colonel Carlyon had indeed fallen into our hands . I had , at the same time , no reason to fear that he would be treated harshly or with want of courtesy . Only , if he was a prisoner , I naturally wished to see him , that I might offer him all the assistance in my power .