midnight
She dared not face the ghastly questioning in Merry 's meek eye . Brodie had gone down to see the escaped men . Perhaps he would discover something . This was the small comfort left the three when , near midnight , they ended the woful conference . The next day Olympia was visited by a representative of the _ Crossbow _ , the chief journal of Warchester , and urged to write a narrative of her adventures in the rebel capital . Until her friends made her see how much effect it would have in clearing Jack 's reputation she shrank from the publicity , but with that end in view -- Jack 's honor -- she wrote , and wrote with strength and clearness , the moving incidents of her brother 's capture , captivity , and escape -- or his bold effort to escape . This she told so simply , so directly , so vividly , that the truth of it at once , struck the most prejudiced reader , who had no cause to continue in his prepossession .