midnight
Having dismissed their humble equipage , the two friends walked briskly along , and entered the city , which , even at this early hour , was filling for its weekly market . D'Esmonde took up his quarters at once at a small inn close by the castle gate , and the priest Cahill immediately proceeded to the jail . He found no difficulty in obtaining access to his acquaintance the under-turnkey , but , to his disappointment , all approach to Meekins was strictly interdicted . `` The magistrates were here , '' said the turnkey , `` till past midnight with him , and that English agent of the Corrig-O'Neal estate was along with them . What took place , I can not even guess , for it was done in secret . I only overheard one of the gentlemen remark , as he passed out , ` That fellow is too deep for us all ; we 'll make nothing of him . ' '' Cahill questioned the man closely as to what the arrest related , and whether he had heard of any allegation against Meekins ; but he knew nothing whatever , save that he had broken his bail some years before .